Teardrops of Jade
by Asia1990
Summary: ON HOLD When a mysterious girl from the modern era appears in feudal japan, she begins a story that no one dreamed possible. Least of all Sesshoumaru. Rated mature for stuff kids shouldn't read. Hint of citrus. Sess/OC.
1. Where The Lines Overlap

**Miyamori Shrine - Present Day Kyoto**

A young woman sat on her knees in the center of an empty room. Hardwood floors had just been perfectly polished, gleaming in the orange glow of sunset, and the warm spring air was thick with the smoky sweet scent of floral incense. Weapon racks lined one of the walls, boasting a large collection of training weapons. At the front of the room was a small alcove where an assortment of spring flowers sat in a simple clay pot, and on the wall behind it hung a simple scroll upon which the word "Memory" was painted in beautiful calligraphy.

The young woman had long black hair, tied back with a thin red cord. She wore the traditional garb of a miko, a pure white haori over scarlet red hakama. Her skin was pale like liquid moonlight, pure and unscarred, and her face was childlike, her cheeks slightly rounded and her rosy lips pouted slightly, giving her a look of innocence. She looked like a doll, with perfect traditional beauty. Her eyes, however, were a different matter. They were pale green, like uncut jade, and they matched the simple jade magatama necklace that rested against her chest.

"Midori-sama?" A young man's voice came into the dojo from the sliding doors behind the young woman. She turned slightly to look at the young man. He was slightly older than her, with deep brown eyes, sun bronzed skin and dark brown hair. He wasn't looking directly at her, instead his eyes were lowered.

"Is something the matter, Kyou-kun?" Midori asked, turning to face him fully. She could see the shrine grounds through the open door behind him. He was wearing a white haori over navy blue hakama. Midori surmised that he had just finished training.

"Anju-sama has asked that you meet with her. She's waiting for you in her room at the main house." Kyou's said quietly, his voice emotionless.

"Aneue, huh?" Midori sighed, standing and walking over towards the door gracefully. "Alright. Thank you, Kyou-kun."

Kyou moved back slightly, still kneeling before her and holding the sliding door for her. He never once looked directly at Midori and that hurt her. She and Kyou had been friends since childhood, but since her eighteenth birthday, everything changed.

Once Midori left the dojo and walked outside, the warm spring breeze rustled through the trees around her, scattering sakura petals around her like snow. All around her, she could see the shrine grounds. Traditional wooden buildings, tile roofs, tori gates, shrines and stone pathways lined by small stone lanterns, with sakura trees planted in small square patches of grass wherever they could fit. This shrine was easily hundreds of years old, judging by the high white stone walls that surrounded the area. Midori looked ahead of her, towards the front gate of the shrine and beyond it she could see the skyline of Kyoto in the distance. She hated that. The garish towering buildings made of glass and steel, the noise that inevitably came from everyone and everything around you, and the stench of the fumes given off by all the cars and busses that traveled around the city.

Midori heard the sliding door snap closed and shook herself from her reverie. Sighing, she turned and gave a slight bow to Kyou as a farewell and then left. She walked down the stone pathway to the back of the shrine grounds to the main house, her wooden geta clicking softly against the pathway as the forest-covered mountain behind the shrine loomed ever closer. She shouldn't keep her sister waiting.

* * *

><p>"You called for me, Aneue?" Midori was knelt down at the sliding door that lead into her older sister's room.<p>

"Come in, Midori." An older woman's voice came from inside the room. Midori opened the door and stepped inside, closed the door behind her, and knelt down before a woman sitting at a short table, looking over paperwork. The woman was older than Midori, and she was wearing a simple midnight blue kimono with silver clouds embroidered on hem. Her black hair was tied back in a tight bun, whispy bangs covering her brow and shading her deep black eyes. Her obi was loose around her protruding belly, signifying that she was with child.

This was Anju, Midori's older sister. She was the head of the Miyamori Family, and she ran the shrine and many businesses within Kyoto. Midori kept her head held high, her face emotionless, but she never once looked directly at her sister. Midori was, after all, the third child of her family and as such, she was a member of the branch family.

"Midori." Anju set down her paperwork and turned, looking directly at Midori, her eyes and tone stern. "I've decided that your ceremony will be held on the night of the full moon. Tomorrow."

"Hai, Aneue." Midori's voice was calm, but her eyes widened slightly. She'd been training for this moment her whole life, it seemed. Her heart skipped a beat, her sister's words echoing in Midori's mind. "I will get my affairs in order tonight."

"Very well. Prepare your things and be at the shrine before sunset tomorrow." Midori could barely hear her sister's voice. She was already going over the mental checklist of things she had to prepare. Anju dismissed Midori, and Midori left with a polite bow before she hurried back to her room.

* * *

><p>Midori sat silently on the floor in her bedroom. Her things were packed neatly into a cloth bag that leaned up against the wall by the door, and her futon was folded and put away. Her dresser was empty, and she was wearing the kimono for the ceremony tonight. She looked at herself in the mirror before her, carefully applying her make-up as one of the servants knelt behind her, tying her hair up. Midori quickly finished, applying a single line of red lipstick down the center of her bottom lip. Her cheeks had a gentle pink tint, and her eyes were lined with a soft grey charcoal. She looked herself over as the servant behind her finished placing the ornaments in her hair. She was done. She was ready.<p>

"You look wonderful, Midori-sama." The elderly servant smiled proudly, her eyes creasing slightly.

"Arigato, Chiyo." Midori returned the old woman's smile before she slowly stood, picking up a small dagger from the dresser and slipping it into her obi, along with a small silk satchel that jingled heavily with coins.

Midori turned and bowed to the servant politely before she gracefully walked out of the room, picking up the heavy cloth bag along the way. She slipped into her okobo and walked outside. The sun had begun it's descent as she stood at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the shrine.

Midori turned and looked over the shrine grounds. The sakura trees were in full bloom, flower petals lazily floating to the ground through a gentle breeze. A few servants of the main family wandered around the grounds, some sweeping and cleaning, taking care of the chores, others hurrying along their way, running errands for the main family. She looked passed the shrine grounds and once again looked at the city skyline. A yellow haze hung low over the city and Midori frowned slightly.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, steadying herself. She had trained for this for years. Kyudo, Aikido, Kendo. She had been privately trained by some of the best tutors in the city since she was strong enough to hold a sword. It was the same for everyone born into the Miyamori clan. She had been one of the best students in fifty years, second only to her older sister Anju. Midori released the breath she'd been holding and opened her eyes. Turning slowly, she ascended the steps to the shrine. This was the last time she would see her home, and she couldn't be happier.

* * *

><p><strong>Warring States Era - Just Outside Kyoto<strong>

"Oie! Kagome! Wait up!"

Kagome heard Inuyasha shouting behind her as she tore off through the forest. She, Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango and Shippo had been walking along a mountain path when Kagome had suddenly sensed something. She had reacted quickly and ran off of the path and into the forest before she knew what she was doing.

"Dammit, it's not safe to run off on your own out here!" Inuyasha grumbled after he caught up with her, now running alongside her as the others ran after her. "What's going on?"

"I'm sensing something! I don't know what it is, but it's coming from this direction!" Kagome answered, jumping over some brush as she ran.

"Do you think it's a jewel shard?" Inuyasha asked hopefully, looking through the forest ahead of them with narrowed eyes.

"No.. It feels.. I don't know how else to say this, but it feels stronger!" Kagome sounded confused as she frowned slightly.

"Stronger, huh?" Inuyasha noticed Kagome's tone and jumped in front of her, kneeling down. "Hop on, we'll get there faster if I run."

"Alright!" Kagome jumped onto Inuyasha's back and they quickly sped off through the forest.

Within a few minutes, they reached a stone staircase that went up the mountain. They followed it into a shrine. It was completely deserted, but for some reason it looked surprisingly well kept. The sakura trees were in full bloom and the pathways had been recently swept, but there wasn't a soul in sight.

"Kagome! Inuyasha!" Sango's voice called from above them. Sango, Miroku and Shippo were riding on Kirara, who was slowly descending to land next to Inuyasha and Kagome.

"What's going on, Kagome? Did you sense something?" Miroku asked, looking somewhat concerned.

"Yeah. I don't know what it is though." Kagome answered, sliding off of Inuyasha's back as they came to the top of the stone steps. "It doesn't seem like a jewel shard, but I thought we should check it out anyway."

"Now that we're getting closer, I'm starting to sense something too." Miroku said, looking into the shrine grounds. He and Sango slid off of Kirara and walked over to Inuyasha and Kagome, with Shippo riding on Sango's shoulder.

"It seems so quiet here!" Shippo said, looking around nervously. "It's pretty, but where is everyone?"

"I don't know. I'm not picking up on Naraku's scent, so it doesn't seem like it's his doing." Inuyasha said, looking around. "The only scents around are from humans."

"Come on, we'd better get moving. This sense I'm feeling is getting stronger while we stand around here, like it's growing." Kagome walked into the shrine grounds and the rest of the group followed. The sun was sinking down below the horizon, the moon rising above the mountain top to the east.

They followed the stone pathways slowly, Kagome in the lead. The stone lanterns had already been lit and cast a faint orange glow around them, illuminating a single pathway, leading towards the back of the shrine grounds. Once the sun had set completely, the group had reached what looked like a large shrine. The door was closed.

"It's coming from in here, isn't it?" Miroku asked as the group came to a stop, looking up at the shrine.

"Yeah. It's coming from inside." Kagome said, walking towards the shrine.

"Well, lets see what's inside!" Inuyasha jumped ahead of Kagome, up the wooden steps and pushed open the double sliding doors leading into the one roomed shrine. There was only darkness inside.

"There's nothing there?" Sango asked, her hand resting on her hiraikotsu, her posture slightly tensed.

"What the hell? It's completely empty!" Inuyasha grumbled and shut the doors with a loud snap, turning and crossing his arms over his chest, looking like a pouting child. "There's nothing even enshrined here. No offerings either."

"That's so strange!" Kagome sighed, slightly disappointed as she watched Inuyasha walk down the steps, his face pinched into a scowl. "I don't see any jewel shards but now that we're so close to the shrine, it's starting to feel more like the Bone Eater's well."

"Oh! What's that?" Shippo cried, pointing towards a large building. A faint orange light flickered in the window when all of the windows had been dark only moments ago. "I think someone just lit a candle in there!"

"Well, lets go check it out." Sango said, walking towards the front of the building. "Maybe we can ask someone about the shrine."

The group turned away from the shrine and started walking towards the house, all except for Kagome. She stood staring at the shrine, her features knit together in a frown. A gentle breeze filtered through the sakura trees and wind chimes twinkled from somewhere nearby just as a soft rumbling came from within the shrine. Everyone stopped and turned back, staring at the shrine. Inuyasha reacted quickly, jumping in front of Kagome and pulling her back a few paces.

The whole shrine seemed to be vibrating by the time Miroku, Sango and Shippo ran over to Kagome and Inuyasha. They all seemed to brace for battle as the wind picked up slightly, surrounding them in a snowstorm of sakura petals just as a faint blue glow came from within the shrine. Kagome stared, her eyes widening as her breath caught in her throat. She had been right.

The group watched as the blue light faded gradually and then everything around them stilled into silence. There was no wind now, the shrine had stopped vibrating, and faint rumbling had stopped. Silence stretched on for a few moments that felt like hours, everyone staring into the darkness of the shrine untill it looked like something was moving inside it. The sound of footsteps came from within the shrine, and a gentle twinkling sound, like delicate bells. Then one of the doors slid open slowly, and a figure appeared from within the shrine.

Kagome gasped, and she felt the air around her change somewhat, becoming lighter. A beautiful woman stepped out of the blackness inside the shrine, carrying a cloth bag with her, turning slowly and shutting the door behind her. When she turned back to walk down the steps, moonlight filtered through the trees and illuminated her figure. She only looked a few years older than Kagome! She was as pale as moonlight, her cheeks tinged with a soft pink, and a single red line ran down her lower lip. Her black hair had been pulled up, and six golden ornaments hung from her hair. Her kimono was made up of pale pinks and pale greens, accented with silver and gold thread. Her obi was made up of black silk, tied with the large bow forward across her front. It was then that Kagome locked eyes with the woman, Kagome's own dark brown eyes meeting with the woman's jade green. They stared at each other for a moment.

"Eh?.." The woman's looked at Kagome quizzically, blinking for a second before looking her over. "Wait a second.. Did the ceremony not work..?"

"Huh?" Kagome asked, blinking. She was now thoroughly confused.

"Chyaahh!" The woman groaned, dropping her head uncerimoniously into her hand for a moment. After a second, she walked down the steps, swept right passed Kagome and her friends, and walked down the path towards the main steps. "I know one way I can tell!"

"Oie! Hold it!" Inuyasha growled, walking after the woman with his sword drawn. "Who the hell are you?"

"Just hold your horses! I gotta check something first!" The woman called over her shoulder as she walked down the path. Inuyasha grumbled something as he followed, and soon the whole group had followed her cautiously to the top of the shrine steps. The woman seemed to stare down the mountain at the town in the valley below and relaxed somewhat.

"Oh, thank god! It _did_ work!" The woman sighed with relief, dropping her bag beside her. She turned to face Kagome, her face displaying a kind, but also curious, smile. "Sorry about that! I had to make sure I ended up in the right place."

"The right place? What do you mean?" Kagome asked, somewhat baffled that this woman wasn't even phased by Inuyasha, who had his sword drawn and resting across his shoulders.

"Ah, yeah. I was a little thrown off by your school uniform, so I had to check my surroundings real quick." The woman spoke with a sincere look on her face, as though she hadn't said anything out of the ordinary.

"Eh...?" Kagome blinked, her eyes wide. Had she heard the woman right? Had the woman just said something about Kagome's uniform? "EH?"

"Hm?" The woman faked a thoughtful, innocent expression, the corners of her lips turning up slightly. "What? You thought you were the only one who could travel through time?"

There was a shocked silence for a few moments. Inuyasha looked like he was just about to drop his sword, Miroku's eyes went wide even though he'd been silently oggling the woman, Sango, Kagome and Shippo just stood there and blinked in shock.

"Oh ho! You did, didn't you?" The woman giggled for a moment, looking over the surprised faces. With an playful smile, she looked to Kagome and held her hand out to shake Kagome's in greeting. "I'm Midori Miyamori, from Kyoto's Miyamori Shrine. Nice to meet you!"


	2. Conspiracy

**Miyamori Shrine, Kyoto - Warring States Era**

"I'm Midori Miyamori, of Kyoto's Miyamori Shrine. Nice to meet you!"

Midori's words seemed to hang heavily on the air, mixing into a long stretch of silence. Midori just smiled, holding her hand out to shake the young school girl's hand untill the half demon beside the girl broke the silence.

"Wait a second. How do we know you're from Kagome's era?" He growled, aiming his sword at Midori, his eyes clouded with suspicion.

"Ah, you're right. I didn't show you proof. Just a sec." Midori bent down and rummaged through the cloth bag at her feet untill she found what she was looking for. "Got it! Truth be told, I wasn't supposed to bring this with me, but I couldn't help it."

"Pocky?" Kagome blinked at the colorful cardboard package that Midori was holding up. It was a large box of five different pocky flavors. Chocolate, Strawberry, Mint, Coconut, and Caramel.

"Yeah. I'm a bit of a sugar fiend." Midori giggled slightly, trying to hide a nervous blush. Midori noticed the little fox kit looking at the pocky box with a wide-eyed wonder. Midori smiled and held out the box to the little kitsune, offering it to him. "Do you want some?"

The little fox kit looked over to Kagome as if to ask permission, and Kagome nodded. "Go ahead, Shippo."

Shippo nervously took the pocky from Midori and waited for a few seconds before he tore into the box and started to chow down on the sweets. Midori just giggled as she bent down and closed up the blue cloth bag at her feet.

"Well, since I didn't get the grand welcoming I was expecting, I guess that you guys are the only people here." Midori sighed as she picked up the bag and looked around the shrine grounds. It was smaller than she had been used to, but she supposed that was to be expected. "Do you have a place to stay for the night?"

"Eh? Oh, well no." Kagome smiled nervously. "We had been looking for a place to camp out before.. well, before we found this shrine."

"Oh, okay." Midori smiled and walked towards the largest building on the shrine grounds, completely brushing passed the half demon with the over-sized sword. "Come on then. You can stay here with me if you'd like. The shrine seems empty right now anyway."

Midori could hear the group following behind her as she walked into the main house and kicked off her okobo. The group followed suit, removing their footwear and following her into the largest room in the house as Midori opened a few sliding doors to reveal a huge garden. Moonlight poured into the room and Midori quickly lit some candles to give them more light.

"So, would you mind telling me your names? It'll be easier on me if I know what to call you." Midori smiled, setting her bag down and kneeling down on the tatami floor as she looked over the group.

"Oh, sure." Kagome smiled and sat down across from Midori and her companions followed suit, setting down their things and casually sitting as well. "My name is Kagome Higurashi, and this is Shippo, Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha and that little cat over there is Kirara."

"It's nice to meet you." Midori bowed her head politely, the ornaments in her hair jingling slightly. When she raised her head again, she caught the half demon, Inuyasha, glaring at her briefly but he looked away quickly when she noticed him.

"So how did you get here?" Kagome asked, looking at Midori intently. "I never knew there was another way to get to the Sengoku Jidai."

"Oh, that's right. I haven't explained myself yet." Midori smiled apologetically. "My family has owned this shrine since the Heian Era. Legend tells that we're the descendants of Abe no Seimei, and that he had built the shrine in order to protect Kyoto. About three hundred years ago, a very young Miko was tending to the shrine when she tripped and fell through the sliding doors. When she got up and turned around, the door she had just broken was suddenly fixed. She left the shrine and found herself transported back in time. Upon discovering this, she ran back into the shrine, turned once more, and found the door she had broken. She had been taken back to her own time. Immediately, she went to tell the head of the family, and ever since, it's been tradition to send certain members of our family back in time."

"But why? Isn't it dangerous?" Kagome asked, looking confused.

"It's sort of like a rite of passage for the branch family. You see, when the current head of the family has more than one child, the spiritual prowess of that family is bestowed upon the first child, while the other children are accepted into the branch family. We of the branch family must train harder than anyone else in order to develop our spiritual abilities so that we may protect the head family." Midori explained, her voice quiet and almost somber.

"And you're the second child?" Sango asked quietly.

"No, I'm afraid not." Midori smiled faintly, lowering her head ever so slightly. "I am the third child of my family. My sister is the eldest, and she is the current head of the family."

"A woman is the head of your family?" Shippo looked up from his pocky feast, his expression awed.

"Yes, little one." Midori looked to the little fox. "It's been that way since we changed our family name from Abe to Miyamori. The eldest daughter of the main family is made the head of the family, presiding over the main and branch families. The men of the family are tasked with becoming priests and honing their own abilities."

"What happens when a family has only male children?" Miroku asked

"Then that family is no longer the head family, and the duty is passed on to the next sibling's eldest daughter." Midori answered simply.

"It doesn't seem fair somehow.." Shippo mused.

"I suppose not. However that is how.." Midori trailed off for a moment and tensed as a gentle breeze blew into the room from the garden. Everyone seemed to notice her sudden change and watched as Midori walked out into the garden silently, lifting her head towards the sky and sniffing the air. After a moment she turned back, her face expressionless. "We're about to have company."

"What are you talking about? There's nothing out there." Inuyasha grumbled, sniffing the air.

Midori ignored him, walking back into the room and shutting each of the sliding doors. After she had finished, she turned and left the room, walking to the entrance of the main house, her footsteps completely silent.

"Come on, Inuyasha. Let's go see what she's doing." Kagome sighed as she stood and followed after Midori. Soon, they all stood and followed, leaving the house and finding Midori standing still between the main house and the steps ahead of her, staring at the steps leading up to the shrine grounds.

"Wait a second.. How in the hell..?" Inuyasha blinked and then sniffed the air once again. He could smell it now.. "How was she able to smell that demon before I was..?"

"Eh? There really is something coming?" Shippo asked, looking bewildered.

"Yes. I can smell it now." Inuyasha took a few steps forward with his hand on the hilt of his sword. "A demon that smells like blood."

Just as Inuyasha was about to walk in front of Midori, a figure came into sight. It was moving up the stone steps slowly, and everyone could see a faint red glow coming from a pair of huge menacing eyes. Midori held out a hand in front of Inuyasha causing him to stop.

"You don't want to be in front of me, hanyou." Midori smiled over her shoulder at Inuyasha. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Hurt me? What the hell are you talking about?" Inuyasha growled, drawing his sword. "And so what if I'm a hanyou? You're just a human!"

"Human, huh?" Midori spoke softly under her breath. Only Inuyasha heard her, and he looked over to her and saw the sad smile on her face before she took a few steps forward, towards the demon that had now reached the top of the stairs.

Midori stopped a few paces away from the demon. It towered over her slight frame, covered in dark blue scales, horns and spikes protruding from various joints. There was fresh blood on it's scaled claws, and a foul smoke was wafting from it's open jaws as it looked down at Midori with a leering grin.

"I don't suppose I could simply ask you to leave, could I, Youkai-san?" Midori asked, covering her mouth and nose with the sleeve of her kimono, looking up at the scaled monster that stood before her. "I'm afraid I do not enjoy your stench."

"What the hell are you doing, you little idiot?" Inuyasha shouted, drawing his sword and walking towards Midori. "You're going to get yourself killed!"

The giant lizard began to raise his arm, deadly looking claws sprouted from his three-fingered hand. Midori simply sighed and raised a single finger, pointing at the demon's chest. Gradually, a dim green light formed at the tip of her finger. It was so small that it looked like a firefly. Inuyasha was still shouting his nonsense, and just as he was about to reach her side, Midori closed her eyes.

"Fly."

That one word seemed to echo around her and hang on the air. Everyone watched as that small light left Midori's fingertip and then suddenly shot through the demon at such a speed that it seemed to turn into a ribbon of light, repeatedly piercing through the demon untill the light abruptly came to a halt and returned to Midori's fingertip, fading away into nothing. The demon's scaled skin had now completely blackened, and it stood there motionless, clawed hand still raised as Midori slowly raised her hands as if in prayer.

"What just happened..?" Sango turned to Kagome and Miroku, who just stood there looking stunned. "What was that light?"

Midori turned and walked back towards the group, and just as she was about to pass Inuyasha, the scaled demon broke apart into ash and green smouldering cinders. The remains were quickly carried away by the cool night breeze untill no traces of it were left.

"That was a Shikigami." Midori said once she reached Kagome, Miroku and Sango. "She is a spirit that aids me in battle."

"Shikigami?" Shippo asked, peering at Midori from behind Miroku's robe.

"Yes. I call her Hotaru." Midori explained, her face somewhat shadowed against the moonlight as she stood before them. Inuyasha sheathed his sword and walked back to stand next to Midori, eyeing her suspiciously.

"You're an Onmyouji?" Miroku finally asked, surprise in his voice. "If you can control Shikigami, then you must be an exceptional Onmyouji.."

"I am a descendant of Abe no Seimei. If I were unable to work with Shikigami, I would be the laughingstock of my family." Midori said, her voice quiet and her eyes almost sad.

Nothing more was said about Midori's abilities that night, as the group went back into the main house and settled in for the night. Midori had started a fire in the hearth and Kagome had prepared some food she had brought, sharing some with Midori and the rest of the group. Soon after, Midori let the warmth from the fire seep into her and she relaxed in it's gentle glow, allowing herself to sleep.

* * *

><p>"You want to WHAT?"<p>

Inuyasha's voice could be heard all throughout the shrine grounds as he and Kagome stood in the garden behind the main house. Shippo had wanted to explore, so Kagome was watching over him as he played. Inuyasha had just joined them and they had been having a serious conversation.

"Inuyasha, I just think it would be for the best." Kagome said, her patience beginning to wane. "I mean, she doesn't know anyone here, and I would just feel better if she were with us."

"I don't trust her, Kagome!" Inuyasha grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. "She doesn't have a scent! That's not normal for a human! And what's with all this talk of her being an Onmyouji? Only men can be Onmyouji! There's something she's not telling us!"

"Inuyasha, don't be a dolt. Women aren't as helpless and weak as you make them out to be." Kagome sighed, trying to keep her temper under control. "And besides, you saw how she took out that demon last night. It was dead before you even got to beat on it with that over-sized sword of yours."

"What the heck are you saying, Kagome? Are you saying I'm not good enough?" Inuyasha glared, crossing his arms over his chest, looking like a pouting child once again.

"No, I'm not saying that. I'm just saying she might be useful to have around, that's all. And I think it might be good if we learn more about her. Who knows? You might like her once you get to know her." Kagome glared right back at Inuyasha before she turned back towards the garden to watch Shippo, who was leaning over a large koi pond, giggling as he splashed in the water.

"What are you two talking about?" Sango's voice came from behind them. Kagome turned to see Sango and Kirara walking over towards her with a curious smile.

"Kagome wants to bring that Onmyouji girl with us." Inuyasha grumbled, plopping himself down on a stone bench in the garden.

"Oh, Midori? Actually, I was just about to ask if you've seen her. We can't find her." Sango said, looking around the garden. "It's like she just disappeared. Miroku's out looking for her now."

"Oh, great. This is just what I was telling you, Kagome!" Inuyasha stood and shot another childish glare at Kagome, who ignored him. "Anyway, who cares! Lets just go! It's not like Naraku is just going to sit and wait around for us."

"Shippo, come on. Midori went missing, so lets go find her, alright?" Kagome called to Shippo, who jumped up and ran to Kagome with wide eyes.

"Midori's missing? What do we do? We gotta find her!" Shippo sounded alarmed and jumped up onto Kagome's shoulder.

"That's just what we're going to do. Come on." Kagome smiled comfortingly and patted Shippo's head as she walked back towards the main house, leaving Inuyasha in the garden to pout.

A few minutes later, Kagome and Shippo found a solitary staircase leading farther up the mountain. They hadn't noticed it last night, as it was partially hidden by the sakura trees and weeds had grown up through the cracks in the rough stone steps. They could hear Miroku's voice from up ahead of them, so Kagome walked up the steps as quickly as she could.

"Midori-sama!" Miroku called, scanning the area for any traces of the girl he had met last night. "Midori-sama! Where are you?"

Miroku had found himself in an untended area of the shrine grounds, hidden from view. He had seen a curious green light, flickering slightly as it floated up the staircase. At first he had thought it was just a firefly, but then the memory of Midori's Shikigami came rushing back to him, so he quickly followed after it. If something had happened to Midori, that Shikigami may have been trying to tell him.

Now that he had reached the top of the untended steps, he looked around. He was completely surrounded by old trees, the treebark dark and aged, weathered by unknown years. The trees reached upwards and the dark green foliage formed a canopy through which almost no sunlight could penetrate. It was dark and the air felt heavy somehow, damp with the thick scent of wet earth and nearby water. A dirt path spread out before him and he could vaguely hear the sound of a waterfall. A green light flickered through the trees ahead of him and Miroku followed it, walking down the old dirt path.

The sound of the waterfall seemed to be getting closer and closer and soon the trees parted, giving way to a huge clearing near the top of the mountain. It was beautiful. Between the trees was a huge field of tall emerald grasses and small wild flowers, dotting the landscape with a rainbow of colors. A river ran through the center of the field, the crystal clear water being fed into the river from a huge waterfall. A fine snowy mist flowed down from the waterfall, giving the area an ethereal appearance.

"Miroku! Midori!" Miroku heard Kagome's voice calling from the path behind him, followed by Shippo, seemingly echoing Kagome's calls. Miroku snapped back to attention, turning back towards the path.

"Kagome-sama! I'm up here!" Miroku called back, and soon Kagome walked up the path with Shippo riding on her shoulder.

"Miroku, have you found Midori yet?" Kagome asked, looking worried. "Sango and Inuyasha are still down at the shrine looking for her."

"No, I haven't found her yet, but I think one of her Shikigami led me here. You remember that green light from last night. I think she called it Hotaru." Miroku said, looking thoughtful as he turned back to look at the field. There, near the waterfall, was a flickering green light, floating around aimlessly untill it disappeared behind the waterfall, casting a dim green glow from behind the water. "Oh, there it goes again. It just went behind the waterfall."

"Well, lets follow it!" Kagome said, walking through the tall grass and flowers towards the waterfall as Miroku followed her.

Once they reached the waterfall, they could see that the stone walls around it were littered with ofuda, small slips of paper with faint grey inkstains on them, aged and faded by years of wind and rain. The air seemed almost charged, and it somehow felt lighter, purer.

"Something's strange about this place." Kagome mused, stopping at the edge of the wall. Behind the waterfall, Kagome, Miroku and Shippo could see the outline of a tunnel that stretched deep into the mountain, and the flicker of orange light came from lit lanterns inside the cave.

"I'm getting the feeling that I shouldn't be here.." Shippo whined, huddling down on Kagome's shoulder, looking ahead with a worried expression. "Lets hurry up and find Midori and get outta here."

"Alright. Lets' get this over with." Kagome nodded and carefully walked behind the waterfall, trying not to get wet. Just as Kagome got behind the waterfall, she felt Shippo tense and then suddenly she couldn't feel his weight on her shoulder.

"Waaaahhhhh!" Shippo cried out as he was sent flying out of the cave, straight through the waterfall and right into Miroku's arms.

"What in the world?" Kagome ran back to find Miroku holding Shippo, who was pouting and rubbing his head.

"It would seem that there's a barrier around this cave.. I don't think demons are allowed inside." Miroku sighed, looking at the opening of the cave, his brows furrowed as he frowned slightly. "That's so odd. I haven't seen a barrier like this in a long time. Especially not one so strong."

"I'll just wait out here." Shippo declared, jumping out of Miroku's arms and landing on the path that had been carved out of the stone wall. He walked over to the wall and sat down, looking slightly annoyed. "I don't wanna get shocked by that thing again."

"Alright, Shippo. We'll be back as soon as we can. I get the feeling we should check this out." Kagome said, sighing softly as she turned back and walked into the cave, Miroku following behind her. They both looked at the dimly lit path ahead of them, orange light flickering from the paper lanterns that hung along the walls in perfect rows.

"That's a rather odd design to have on a paper lantern." Miroku mused, looking at the identical lanterns as they passed. "Each one of them has the word "Memory" written on them."

"I wonder what that's about.." Kagome wondered aloud as they continued down the path, the sound of the waterfall fading as they travelled further into the mountain.

Midori stood near the opening of a large cavern, admiring her handiwork. The cavern was a circular shape, and it was surprisingly well lit, using torches and mirrors to provide enough light so that the entire underground room was visible. In the center of the room was a large pool of clear water. The water seemed to glitter and glow in the light from the torches and steam rose up from the water's surface.

All was silent within the cave as Midori walked into the cavern, her footsteps completely silent as she looked over the towering stone walls. Lining the walls were aged ofuda, paper seals covered more paper seals untill not a single inch of stone wall was left uncovered. Some of the seals looked like the edges had been charred by something, but Midori had covered them with fresh seals, adding as much of her spiritual energy as she could to add to the barrier. The smoky scent of fresh ink wafted through the cavern and Midori nodded with approval.

She walked over to the pool, where a single stone bench sat at the edge. Midori began shedding her kimono, laying it neatly across the bench untill all she had left was the thin white robe she wore against her skin. She pulled the combs and ornaments from her hair, letting the thick black masses fall loosely down her back as she layed out the ornaments atop her kimono.

Miroku and Kagome were just about to walk into the cavern when they spotted her and quickly ducked into an alcove that had been carved into the dark grey rock. Midori was bent over slightly, setting down her jewelry, her hair raven black hair cascading over her shoulder. When she stood, Kagome noticed something around Midori's neck that caught her by surprise. Now that she was looking at it, it _felt_ like a jewel shard, but instead of the pink glow that the shard gave off, this one was pale green, and it was much stronger.

"Kagome-sama?" Miroku whispered, noticing Kagome's tense expression. "What's wrong?"

"That necklace she's wearing.. It feels like a jewel shard." Kagome whispered back, watching Midori closely. "What do you think it could be?"

"I'm not sure. I can't see it very well from here." Miroku answered. "I don't think we should get closer, though."

"Why not?" Kagome asked, looking at Miroku curiously. Miroku just sighed and pointed back to where Midori was standing. Kagome looked back quickly.

Midori had waded into the pool beside her, the water causing the thin white robe to cling to her legs as she sank deeper and deeper into the pool with a contented sigh. Once the water had risen to Midori's waist, she stopped and removed the robe, letting it fall down into the water. Kagome just about had a heart attack when she realized that Miroku, of all people, was standing there, gawking at Midori. But before Kagome could turn and cover Miroku's eyes, she noticed something strange.

Midori had her back to Kagome and Miroku, and she reached up and pulled her long black hair over her shoulder, revealing her bare back to them. There was a faint marking that ran along her delicate spine, from the back of her neck to the swell of her hips. It was dim, as if it hadn't yet fully appeared, but Kagome could just barely make out the swirling red design. It wasn't like anything she had seen before, and it certainly wasn't anything like the markings that she had seen on the demons of this era.

"Well.." Midori sighed ruefully, reaching up to touch the jade magatama necklace that rested against her chest. Kagome and Miroku watched as she reached back to the clasp at the back of her neck. "I better get this over with."

Midori released the clasp, and the necklace fell into her delicate hands. For a moment, everything was still, but Kagome fought back a gasp as the markings on Midori's back began to appear. It was a simple, swirling design that reminded Kagome of how artists had depicted wind in old ukiyo-e paintings. But now the design was not limited to Midori's back. Instead, Kagome saw the design appear on her shoulders, travelling down the length of her arms, stopping at the tops of her hands. Her ears had grown longer and pointed as they poked out through her hair.

Midori gasped quickly and held her breath as she dropped into the water, completely immersing herself. It was hot! Now that she had removed the necklace and dropped into the purifying waters of the pool, the water that had once comforted her aching muscles now scalded her skin and washed away the markings that covered her body. When she could no longer hold her breath, she broke through to the surface of the pool and gasped for air, her lungs burning with the need to breathe. Once she had caught her breath, she quickly replaced the magatama necklace around her neck and the markings that covered her arms, legs and torso disappeared completely, her ears returning to that of a normal human's. It was only a temporary fix, but Midori surmised that it was enough for now.

Midori then gathered up her robe and slipped into it, the thin fabric clinging to her skin as she tied the linen sash around her waist. She turned, pulling herself from the water and stepped onto the cold stone floor of the cavern. It was then that a pair of familiar scents reached her nose and her head jerked up, staring directly at the opening to the cavern. Kagome and Miroku stood there, staring.

"What.. The hell..?" Midori blinked, fear instantly gripping her like a hand around her throat when she saw them, their eyes wide and their expressions blank. "What are you two doing here?"

"We could ask you the same question, Midori." Kagome said, her voice quiet as she walked forward a few steps. "But first you should probably get dressed."

"Eh?" Midori blinked and then came back to her senses. She looked down and remembered she was wearing that thin white robe, and it was completely soaked with the water from the pool, and it was now semi-transparent. Midori looked up and saw Miroku, still staring, and Midori quickly covered herself with her hands, her cheeks hot as she grabbed her kimono and yanked it over her shoulders, covering herself as best she could.

"How long were you standing there?" Midori asked, her tone filled with worry, betraying her emotionless face as she looked at Kagome and Miroku. "How much did you see?"

"Everything." Kagome said a little too bluntly, and then she saw Midori's expression change as she sank to her knees, her kimono slipping down her shoulders loosely. Midori looked like she had been completely defeated, like she had lost a battle she had been fighting for her whole life. "We saw the markings when you removed that necklace.. and then they disappeared when you came out of the water.."

"Midori.. What are you?" Miroku asked, and Midori stiffed as soon as she heard him.

"I'm cursed." Midori said, her voice filled with raw sadness as she quickly stood, tied her obi around her waist roughly and gathered up the rest of her things. She turned, not looking at Kagome or Miroku, and ran from the cavern as fast as her legs could carry her. She knew they wouldn't be able to keep up with her. They were only human, and she was something else entirely.

* * *

><p>"Hey! Onmyouji girl!" Inuyasha shouted, looking around the shrine grounds. It had been hours since Midori had gone missing and the sun was already beginning it's descent. Much to Inuyasha's annoyance, Midori didn't seem to have a scent, so he hadn't been able to track her at all. Sango and Kirara were looking in the forest that surrounded the shrine grounds, in case she had wandered off and gotten hurt somehow, but it didn't seem like they were having any luck finding the girl either.<p>

"Midori!" Inuyasha shouted, narrowing his eyes when a scent finally reached his nose. Tears. There was a faint rustling noise in the trees beyond the wall of the shrine grounds and Inuyasha's ears twitched, standing still as he listened.

The rustling continued, and the scent of tears was getting stronger. Inuyasha turned and looked at the wall, his eyes narrowing. Just as he was about to take a step towards the wall, a figure appeared above it, gliding over it with ease. It was Midori! Her hair was soaked, as was her once elegant kimono, and she looked like she had just been drowned. She made no sound as her bare feet touched the stone pathway within the shrine, and instead of stopping, she just continued to run towards the main house at a speed that shocked Inuyasha. He stood there, stunned. He had only caught the briefest glimpse of her face. It was completely devoid of emotion, despite the tears that were rolling freely down her cheeks. Her eyes however, gave her away, speaking only of pure sadness.

Inuyasha stood there for a few minutes, unable to think as he watched Midori disappear into the main house. Everything was silent and still. There wasn't even the cooling breeze that was common in the mountains during spring. What had he just seen? Midori? How had she been able to jump the ten foot high wall with such ease? If she was human, she wouldn't have been able to do such a thing..

"Human, huh?" Midori's sad voice floated back through Inuyasha's memory. She had said that the night before. He remembered now, the look on her face as she said that, her eyes shadowed, the sad smile on her face before she walked away. Inuyasha knew now. Midori wasn't human.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome's voice roused Inuyasha from his thoughts. He shook his head briefly before turning to see Kagome, Miroku and Shippo running up to him. They all looked out of breath and worried. "Have you seen Midori?"

"Yeah, she just ran into the house." Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes at Kagome. "Mind telling me what the hell Midori is? She just jumped the wall without even trying."

"We don't know." Miroku explained, trying to catch his breath. "We're still trying to figure that one out, but she ran off before we could ask her. All she said was that she was cursed."

"Cursed? Like you with your wind tunnel?" Inuyasha asked, an eyebrow raised in suspicion.

"No, I don't think it's like that." Kagome shook her head, looking towards the main house, the front door still open. "She had these markings.. But I've never seen markings like those before."

The four of them were silent for a while, almost as if they were deep in thought. Kagome was looking at the door to the house with concern, Miroku and Shippo's eyes were both downcast as if they were guilty, and Inuyasha just looked between them and then released a heavy sigh.

"Kagome, go get her. I'll go get Sango." He grumbled, jerking his head toward the house. He was suddenly showing an uncharacteristic amount of understanding. "Midori was crying.. And I think you're the only person who may be able to calm her down, Kagome."

"Alright, I'll go talk to her." Kagome said, leaving the group and hurrying towards the house.

"And just where the hell do you think you're going, Monk?" Inuyasha turned back to see Miroku trying to sneak away, but Inuyasha grabbed the collar of the monk's robes and yanked him back. "You're going to tell me everything that happened while we go get Sango."

"Gack!" Miroku coughed at the sudden yank on his robes and then chuckled nervously, holding his hands up in compliance. "Alright, alright."


	3. A New Beginning

Midori had run into the house before she knew where she was going. She had let her body take control, and the instinct to run had overpowered her. Before she knew what had really happened, she had hidden herself away in the smallest room of the main house and there she stayed, huddled into a corner with her knees pressed against her chest. Her kimono was wet and tattered, streaked with dirt from running through the forest, and her hair clung to her face as her tears dried on her cheeks.

They had seen her. Kagome and Miroku had seen her markings and now they knew she wasn't human. This was the one rule she had never been allowed to break. Her sister had forbidden her to reveal her true form to anyone, and now she had been found out. There was no going back now. She could no longer return home and face her sister.

"Midori.." Anju's voice rang through Midori's memory and Midori tensed, sucking in an unsteady breath as she hugged her knees to her chest, but the voice continued. "Midori, you have inherited our family's curse. You are not human. You will carry the family name, but you will never truely be one of us!"

"Midori!" A voice called over the voice that plagued Midori's memory. Midori blinked. Fresh tears stained her cheeks and she looked up to see Kagome kneeling beside her, her face colored with concern and worry. "Midori! Oh god, are you alright?"

"Why are you here, Kagome?" Midori's voice was soft and weak, and for a moment she barely recognized it as her own.

"I was worried about you." Kagome sighed, sitting down next to Midori and pulling a hankerchief from the pocket of her uniform and handing it to Midori. "I'm sorry if we scared you."

"Scared me?" Midori blinked, looking at Kagome. "What are you talking about? I'm the one that's not human, I'm the one that's cursed! And you think you scared me?"

"You think that just because you aren't human that you're automatically cursed?" Kagome asked, looking directly into Midori's watery jade colored eyes.

"You don't know what happened.." Midori sighed, looking away as she wiped away her tears with the sleeve of her ruined kimono. There was no way should could go back now anyway.

"Why don't you tell me about it, then?" Kagome asked, her tone comforting and reassuring as she looked at the girl beside her.

"Back in the year 1145, Emperor Konoe ruled over Japan. He fell in love with a beautiful woman who wasn't only beautiful, but wickedly intelligent. There was nothing she couldn't do. After a few weeks, she was moved to the Imperial Court as one of the Emperor's courtesans. The next day he fell ill, and he visited Abe no Seimei to discover the cause. Abe no Seimei told him that it was the woman's fault. That she was a nine-tailed fox in disguise, and she had been planning to kill him.."

Midori's eyes looked distant, and her face became expressionless as she told the tale to Kagome. Kagome listened silently, but somehow this all sounded very familiar to her. Like something she had heard in class in the modern era.

"The woman's name was Tamamo no Mae. The Emperor and Abe no Seimei went to her quarters that night to comfront her, expecting to find her asleep. However, instead of finding a woman asleep in her bed, there was a white nine-tailed fox sitting in the center of the room. Abe no Seimei protected the Emperor and battled with the fox untill he eventually mortally wounded it. As it looked up at him, her dying words were a curse. He had hindered the fox's revenge against the Emperor, and so his family was now cursed. Every few generations, Abe no Seimei's descendents would be born as demons."

"Abe no Seimei tried everything he could to break the curse, but every attempt failed. Soon, he lost his high station with the Emperor because of the curse, and his family fell into poverty. He married off his youngest child, a daughter, to a weathy family in the hopes that she would have a better life. He told the family that his daughter was cursed, and she would have to spend the rest of her life near a shrine, and with that information, they built a shrine in her honor. This shrine."

"The woman soon became pregnant. It was not an easy pregnancy, and the woman died during childbirth. The next day, Abe no Seimei visited the shrine, hoping to see his daughter and his grandchild, however instead he saw her grave. The curse had taken his daughter, and cursed his grandchild. His grand-daughter was a healthy baby girl, however the baby had nine small furry tails, and red markings scrawled across her tiny body..."

Midori trailed off, her voice breaking slightly as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Kagome had listened silently up untill now, but now she took Midori's hand gently, to comfort her. She could see that Midori was visably shaken. Midori flinched, but she didn't push Kagome away.

"Abe no Seimei stayed with the child and protected it as best he could. Eventually, he found the hot spring within the mountain and he poured all of his energy into creating a purifying pool for the child. It would wash away all of the child's demonic energy and leave only that which was human. It worked for a short while, but it was only temporary. Abe no Seimei created a magatama necklace to act as a seal for the demonic energy, but he died while he was enchanting it. His soul was sucked into the magatama before he could finish."

"Abe no Seimei's grandchild became sick soon after she reached adulthood, and she told the head of the family to give the jade magatama to the next child cursed by the fox. When she died, she sealed her soul within the necklace. Soon after, another was born with the curse, and when they placed the necklace around her neck, the markings disappeared as did her tails. Over the years, hundreds of women cursed by the fox added their souls to the magatama, and it became stronger, hiding the inhuman traits of the wearer untill nothing was left, not even their scent."

"I was born with this curse." Midori continued, reaching up and holding the magatama pendant that hung around her neck. "My mother was the head of the family, and she died giving birth to me. On that day I was given this pendant, and it was been with me always. My older brother blamed me for our mother's death and he left the shrine with my father, leaving me alone with my elder sister. I was never allowed to leave the shrine, and only those who had been sworn to secrecy were allowed to know of my existance."

"My own family hates me and wishes me dead." Midori closed her eyes and squeezed the magatama necklace in her hand, a single tear rolling down her cheek. "And now that someone knows of my secret, I will never be allowed to return to the only home I have ever known. That is the rule of my family, the rule of my sister. I have nowhere to go now."

"That's not true." Kagome said, gently squeezing Midori's hand. "Your family was holding you captive and blaming you for things you had no control over. It wasn't your fault that your mother died giving birth to you, Midori. And you think being born different from your family is a curse? It isn't. Personally, I would think of that as a blessing."

"Eh?" Midori looked up at Kagome, who was smiling kindly.

"Yeah." Kagome nodded. "You're probably the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, and from what I can tell, you're pretty darn fearless and that's surprising for girls our age."

"Think of it this way, Midori.." Inuyasha's voice came from the doorway and Midori looked up to see Inuyasha standing at the door, arms crossed in front of his chest, looking down at the floor with a bored expression. "You're free now. You never have to go back to your time and deal with your stupid family rules ever again. You can stay here and do whatever you want, as long as you're not stupid enough to get yourself killed."

"Inuyasha.. I can't tell whether you're trying to cheer me up or insult me.." Midori smiled weakly. Inuyasha just grumbled something incoherent and tossed a pile of clothing at Midori.

"Just get dressed. I found those in a closet somewhere and thought you might want to change before we eat." Inuyasha grumbled, not looking directly at Midori.

"Eh?" Midori noticed Inuyasha's averted eyes and looked down at herself. Her kimono was barely covering her shoulders, and was open far enough to reveal much of her legs. Kagome tried to hide the fact that she was giggling, but failed miserably

"Yeah, so.." Inuyasha continued, looking down the hallway. He sounded nervous. "Just get dressed and lets eat already. Everyone's waiting.."

"Wait up, Inuyasha. I'll come too. I want to see what you made." Kagome grinned and stood up, walking into the hallway. "I know you can't cook to save your life, so I should probably come help, so Midori doesn't end up being poisoned by your cooking."

"Hey!" Inuyasha cried, following after Kagome. "Don't tell her that, it's not funny! I can cook just fine!"

Midori couldn't help but giggle. For some reason, Inuyasha had seen fit to try and cheer her up, and that made her feel better. Now that she was alone, she stood and looked over the new clothes Inuyasha had found for her. It was a white hoari and bright red hakama, but it was more traditional than what she was used to. It was beautiful.

Midori caught the scent of roasting meat and her stomach growled loudly as she pulled on the clothes. She hadn't eaten since she left her home the day before, and she was starting to feel weak. She tied the sash around her waist quickly and gathered up her things, leaving the room, and her worries behind her. Inuyasha and Kagome had been right. She could find her own place in the world now.

* * *

><p>"So, you want me to come with you?"<p>

A day had passed since Midori's secret had been exposed, and she had carefully explained everything to the rest of Kagome's group. They had accepted her with relative grace, and now Midori was standing at the top of the stone steps leading down the mountain, where Kagome, Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango and Shippo stood. Kagome had asked Midori to join them in their journey, explaining that Midori would be more than welcome to join their group.

"Yeah!" Shippo chimed in, looking up at Midori with a goofy smile. "I think you should come with us too, Midori!"

"What is it that you do when you travel?" Midori asked, looking thoughtful.

"Oh, that's right. I haven't told you yet." Kagome smiled bashfully and pulled out a necklace from under her uniform. On it was a small glass bottle with little bits of what looked like broken glass within it. "These are jewel shards from something called the Shikon no Tama."

"Which you broke." Inuyasha added, which earned him a sharp glare from Kagome.

"Hm..." Midori leaned in closer to Kagome to get a better look at the jewel shards, her eyes narrowing seriously. She was still for a few moments before she noticed Kagome shifting uncomfortably, and then a thought came to her. "Could I see one of those for a second?"

"One of the jewel shards?" Kagome asked, looking confused as Midori stood upright. "I don't see why not.. But what are you going to do with it?"

"I'll give it right back. I just have an idea." Midori grinned as Kagome opened the bottle and handed her one of the small fragments. It hummed gently in her hand and Midori could feel the energy within it. "Alrighty then. Lets see if this works."

Before anyone had a chance to ask what Midori was doing, she reached up and tugged the magatama necklace over her head. The whole group stood stunned as Midori transformed, her ears growing longer and pointed, and her markings returned, leaving a small hollow circle marking on her forehead that pointed and stretched up to her hairline. Delicate red markings lined her jade green eyes, and two pearly white fangs appeared when she smiled. Nine snowy white tails were the last thing to appear, fanning out behind Midori before they relaxed and hung from her spine.

"Whoa..."

Everyone was looking at Midori with wide eyes, but Midori just grinned playfully before she looked down at the little pink shard in her hand, tossed it around a few times, and then brought it up to her nose and sniffed it.

"What the hell are you doing?" Inuyasha cried, looking completely floored as he watched Midori.

"I'm memorizing it." Midori replied simply as she handed the jewel shard back to Kagome. Midori took a few steps back and then leapt up onto the torii gate that stood over the steps to the shrine. "I have to get a feel for what we're looking for, after all."

"What good will that do? It's not like you can sense them anyway." Inuyasha grumbled, watching Midori as she ignored him and sniffed the air. "Only Kagome and Kikyo can sense them."

"Oh ho, is that so?" Midori asked, a sudden grin spreading across her face before she jumped down next to Kagome and pointed towards the south, passed the city of Kyoto. "What do you sense from that direction, Kagome?"

"Huh? Oh.." Kagome blinked a few times and then looked over where Midori was pointing, looking focused. Everyone stared at Kagome, waiting, and after a few moments, Kagome's eyes went wide before she turned to Midori. "She's right! There's a jewel shard over there!"

"Really?" Shippo cried, looking up at Midori with a goofy grin. "That'll come in handy the next time Kagome gets kidnapped and Inuyasha freaks out when he tries to find her!"

"Hey!" Inuyasha and Kagome cried in unison, looking at Shippo, who just laughed and jumped up onto Midori's shoulder.

"Well, all jokes aside, Midori's tracking ability does seem to be higher than Inuyasha's," Sango began, looking thoughtful as she held her hand up to her chin in the classic thinking pose. "So it may come in handy when sensing incoming danger."

"Oh, I get it. Like an advanced warning system." Kagome mused, looking at Midori.

"Yeah yeah, whatever." Inuyasha growled, pouting again. "Come on, lets just go get that jewel shard already."

"Alright, Inuyasha. Let's go." Kagome just chuckled and started walking down the steps, and the group followed, with their newest member in tow.

When no one was looking, Midori quickly tugged the magatama necklace back over her head, and she transformed back into a human, tucking the pendant into the folds of her haori. There was no telling who she would run into on this journey, and she only hoped that it wouldn't be members of her own family.

* * *

><p>During the journey, Kagome had told everyone that the jewel shard didn't seem to be moving, so they hadn't rushed themselves, which seemed like a nice change of pace for the veterans in the group. Midori had been walking behind everyone with a smile, listening to their conversations and learning about her new friends. She decided to use this time to ask questions, a lot of questions, and she listened to the answers with an open mind. She wanted to use this time to the fullest.<p>

They had told her more about the Shikon jewel, and how they had begun searching for it, and about the demon Naraku who was always trying to get to the shards first, and usually succeeded. Kagome went strangely silent when Inuyasha mentioned the priestess Kikyo, and Midori noticed it, looking between the two of them for a moment before the topic was changed. Midori then learned why Miroku and Sango had joined up with Kagome and Inuyasha, and Midori began to feel a newfound respect for the demon slayer and the monk. By the time they reached their destination, the conversation had taken a lighter tone, and everyone was laughing and joking when Kagome suddenly came to a stop.

"It's just up ahead, " Kagome began. They had stopped on the path that ran through a dense forest, and the sun had just begun to set behind them, an orange glow filtering through the tree canopy above them. "It hasn't moved yet, but something is strange. Normally the jewel shards are already tainted by demons when we find them.."

"Well, let's not worry about the petty details and just go find it already." Inuyasha grumbled and pushed Kagome forward into the small clearing that was up ahead. "Just go find that... Oh dammit."

Midori watched as Miroku and Sango rushed to catch up with Kagome and Inuyasha, their voices sounding worried. Midori walked to catch up, coming into the clearing to see Inuyasha glaring at someone, his sword drawn.

The man that Inuyasha was glaring at was tall and lean, his messy black hair pulled back into a pony tail, and his armor consisted of patches of brown furry pelts and black leather. He didn't seem to notice Midori. Instead, he stood glaring at Inuyasha, as if issuing a challenge.

"What are you doing here, you scrawny wolf?" Inuyasha barked at the man and Kagome sighed and shook her head.

"I could ask you the same thing, Mutt!" The man growled right back, "And what are you doing still hanging around _my _Kagome?"

"Your Kagome?" Inuyasha laughed, but he was still glaring. Midori tuned out the male posturing and walked over to Kagome, who looked like she'd rather be anywhere than here.

"Kagome, who's this?" Midori asked, gesturing to the man Inuyasha was having a shouting match with.

"Oh, that's Koga. He's the leader of the wolf demon tribe." Kagome answered, smiling nervously. "He's kind of in love with me."

"No really?" Midori giggled, noticing Kagome's cheeks flush.

"KAGOME! Watch out!" The man, Koga, shouted, and suddenly Midori could sense something coming at her. On instinct, she dodged, her body moving on it's own accord as she tensed, ready for battle.

"Koga, you idiot wolf! That's a friend!" Inuyasha shouted, but was apparently ignored when Koga kept lunging at Midori.

"A friend? Ha!" Koga growled back to Inuyasha, continually swiping his claws at Midori, and Midori kept dodging, looking bored. "She looks like a human, but how come she has no scent?"

"Sorry to burst you bubble, fly boy, but that's been discussed already." Midori drawled, jumping back a few paces to dodge one of Koga's kicks. She landed evenly on a low hanging branch and looked at Koga before she suddenly stopped and sniffed the air. "Hang on a sec.. You've got some jewel shards.."

"Eh?" Koga looked up at Midori, his expression surprised, but his eyes still showed danger. "How do you know that?"

"I can smell em." Midori looked over to Kagome, who was shouting at Koga to stop. "Hey Kagome, you want me to get his jewel shards from him?"

"Midori, he's an ally, don't hurt him." Kagome shouted as she ran to the tree that Midori was standing in just as Koga jumped and tried to land another blow on Midori. "And Koga, knock it off already! Midori's a friend of mine!"

Midori dodged, but she was a little too slow and one of Koga's claws swiped clean through the front of Midori's hoari and suddenly Midori transformed. Her ears grew, her markings returned and her tails surrounded her as she lost her balance and fell, shielding her from damage. Koga was stunned as he jumped back a few paces and stared at the cocoon of pure white fur that stood before him.

"Dammit, Koga! Now look what you did!" Kagome growled as she ran passed him, giving his shoulder a weak punch for good measure, and then she ran towards the bundle of fur. "Midori? Are you okay?"

"Yeah. He just surprised me, that's all." A voice came from within the fur and slowly the tails retracted, pulling away like a blooming flower to reveal the woman that Koga had seen before, but with red markings and fangs, one delicately clawed hand covering her breasts where the shreds of her now torn haori could not. She looked annoyed. "He must have caught my necklace."

"Wait.. She's..?" Koga was floored. He stood there, staring at the woman as Kagome tended to her like a long-time friend, and the woman's jade colored eyes glared right back, giving no ground. The scent of flowers and cloves reached Koga's nose and he studdered. "Kagome.. W-who the hell is this?"

"This is Midori!" Kagome turned and shouted at Koga, who flinched. "She's a friend, baka! She's been in hiding up untill now, and you just broke the necklace that kept her hidden!"

"It's fine, Kagome. You don't have to shout at him." Midori sighed, though one could tell she was obviously annoyed by her tone, one of her tails covering her chest as she searched through the grass for her necklace. "I just have to find my pendant before someone sees me, that's all."

"I'll help, Midori." Inuyasha said, sheathing his sword and pointedly glaring at Koga before he knelt down and searched through the grass, Kagome joining him.

"Gyaahh!" Koga growled under his breath and then sighed, defeated. He walked up to the woman he'd just attacked and knelt down next to her. She turned, her jade green eyes glaring up at him. "What's the necklace look like?"

"It's a jade Magatama." Midori relaxed her expression and went back to searching. "It's round at the top and pointy at the bottom, and it's on a black string with black beads."

Koga knelt down to search around the tree and after a few minutes, a glittering light caught his eye. He moved closer and bent down. There, between the roots of the tree, was the jade Magatama, with the string of beads still intact.

"Found it." Koga said, picking up the little jewel. When he turned to hand it back to Midori, he saw Kagome and Inuyasha staring at him with strange looks on their faces. The little pendant seemed to hum in his outstretched hand and he looked down at it, his eyes widening. His claws were gone! He panicked. "What the hell is this thing?"

Kagome and Inuyasha stared at Koga, their eyes wide. Koga now looked human, his normally pointed ears now smaller and rounded, his fangs and claws gone, and his tail completely hidden. Koga felt his ears, noticing the change in his hearing and he looked like he was about to faint. Midori just grumbled something Koga couldn't hear and walked over to him, looking annoyed once again.

"It's a seal, dumbass." Midori snapped, snatching the pendant from his hands and looking it over with a sigh. "It turns you human when you wear it. And now the clasp is broken. Great."

"Well, how the hell was I supposed to know?" Koga shouted, feeling his senses return to normal as he transformed back into his good old demon self again. Midori just shot him a deathly glare.

"You could have at least guessed, given that she looked human when you attacked her." Inuyasha snorted, clearly amused. Midori was fumbling with the necklace, trying to somehow tie it back around her neck without further damaging it. "Don't worry, Midori. I know someone who might be able to fix it. He's nearby, too."

"Really?" Midori looked up at Inuyasha, looking hopeful. Koga noticed that her tails seemed to swish around like a pup's when she heard Inuyasha and cheered up. Midori began rummaging around in her obi and after a few seconds she pulled out a small coin purse. "Do you think this will pay for it? I'm afraid I'm terrible with money."

"Lets see how much you have." Inuyasha held out his hand and Midori opened the little pouch and dumped it's contents into Inuyasha's palm. Sango, Miroku and Shippo walked over and looked over Inuyasha's shoulder at what he was holding and they all paused. "How the hell did you get so much?"

"Midori, this could buy us food for months!" Sango exclaimed, looking down at the sizable pile of gold coins.

"Eh? Really?" Midori mused, looking at Sango and completely ignoring Koga. "I had no idea. Like I said, I'm terrible with money."

"You don't have to worry, Midori-chan!" Miroku chimed suddenly, and then he was standing in front of Midori, holding her hand lovingly. Midori looked amused. "After all, I'll handle all of our monetary affairs when we're marri-GACK!"

"I was wondering when he was going to do that." Inuyasha smirked, looking at the sizeable lump that Sango had left on Miroku's head. Sango was muttering something about a certain stupid letcherous monk, but everyone seemed to act like this was normal. Midori suddenly got an idea.

"Oh, don't worry, Miroku-sama!" Midori knelt down next to Miroku, her smile smile bright and loving, her tone cheerful. "After all, if we do get married, we'll have so many kids that we'll be poor!"

"Eh?" The group exclaimed collectively as Miroku rolled over and looked up at Midori's glowing smile. Sango seemed to freeze in her tracks.

"You're joking, aren't you?" He asked after a few moments, unable to believe Midori's sudden sincerity.

"Hai, Miroku-sama!" Midori chimed, grinning back at him before she stood and walked over to Sango, handing her the heavy jingling coinpurse. "I would rather trust Sango with the money, seeing as how she dealt with you so easily."

"Oh, you have such a wicked sense of humor, Midori-chan!" Miroku groaned lamentably and stood up, nursing the wound on his skull. Inuyasha and Kagome were rolling in the grass, holding their sides in the midst of a fit of laughter.

"I think Midori's fitting it great!" Shippo laughed, trotting over to Sango, who still looked a little shellshocked.

"Midori, come on over here. Lets get you out of that hoari." Kagome grinned, pulling another white haori from her bulging yellow backpack. "You shouldn't walk around like that."

"Ah! Thank you, Kagome. You're a lifesaver!" Midori jogged over to Kagome with a bright smile, taking the haori before the two girls walked off into the woods, leaving the pervert monk under the watchful eye of Sango.

Koga grumbled something and walked a short distance away, flopping down into the grass while the others chatted merrily. Inuyasha followed, crouching down in the grass and staring off into the distance, much like Koga was doing.

"So?" Koga began after a few moments of silence between them. "Who is she, and what are you guys even doing here?"

"Her name is Midori." Inuyasha explained, not looking at Koga. "She came from the same place Kagome came from, sorta. I can't really tell ya much else, cuz it's not my place, but she's been dealing with some stuff. She kinda lost her home because of us, so she's travelling with us for a while."

"What is she?" Koga asked somewhat stiffly, glancing over to where Midori and Kagome were walking out of the forest to join the others. Midori glanced over at Koga, and he quickly looked away. "I don't think I've ever seen so many tails before.."

"She's a Kitsune, kind of." Inuyasha said, stretching before he too flopped down onto the grass, laying back and looking up at the sky. "She's actually the one that sensed your jewel shards, before even Kagome could sense them. That's about all I can say."

"What?" Koga looked at Inuyasha now, his brows raised half-way to his hairline in surprise. "I thought only Kagome and Kikyo could see jewel shards."

"Yeah, I don't really get it either. She said she could smell em." Inuyasha sighed, sitting up. "She must have a crazy sensitive nose."

"I have a crazy sensitive set of ears too." Midori said casually, walking over to Inuyasha and Koga. She was wearing a new haori, and her pendant dangled from her neck. She appeared human again as she knelt down next to Inuyasha, looking at him seriously. "We can trust this guy, right?"

"Ha! Hardly!" Inuyasha snorted, smirking. Koga glared, but Inuyasha wasn't phased.

"Well, whatever. Since he already knows I can sense jewel shards, I don't have to worry about annoying questioned." Midori sighed as she stood, walking over to a tall tree and then jumping into it's branches. After a few seconds, she appeared from the foliage near the top.

Koga watched as Midori closed her eyes and listened to her senses, sniffing the breeze as the glow from the sunlight danced across her features. Koga narrowed his eyes slightly, watching her while everything around them seemed to still.

"Got one." Midori announced, her eyes opening as she looked down to Kagome, pointing towards the sunset. "Kagome! I smell a jewel shard in that direction! It smells different though. Kinda sour!"

"It's probably tainted." Kagome sighed, gathering her things. Midori jumped from her perch atop the tree and landed in the grass near Inuyasha and Koga. "Come on, Inuyasha. Playtime's over, we gotta get moving."

"Who the hell is playing?" Inuyasha shouted at Kagome as he stood up quickly, jogging over to her, leaving Midori and Koga under the tree.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Koga." Midori grinned down at Koga, who was still sitting in the grass, looking up at her. "Maybe next time you'll ask before you try and strip me, hm?"

"Eh? Y-you think.. You think that's what I was trying to do?" Koga yowled, jumping to his feet, taken aback. "What makes you think I'd even want to?"

"You're blushing." Midori giggled playfully and turned, leaving Koga alone under the tree as she jogged over to her friends, who had heard the whole encounter and were trying not to laugh. "See ya, Koga-chan!"

"What the hell..?" Koga said to himself as he watched the group leave, collapsing back into the grass as the sun finally sank below the horizon, leaving him in darkness. Koga-chan? Just who the hell did she think she was? He wasn't blushing! He was the leader of the wolf demon tribe! Koga growled under his breath, ignoring the subtle heat that had risen to his cheeks.


	4. Pressure

"So, we go to see this guy Totosai.." Midori began, looking skeptical. "And he lives in a cave and makes weapons.. What makes you think he can fix my necklace?"

The group was walking down a path that lead through a small patch of rice fields. They had been travelling together for a week and so far they had only collected one jewel shard, despite Midori's best efforts. It was early morning, and dew still clung to the grass as the sun rose, casting a multitude of colors on the sparse clouds that floated lazily overhead. A small village was seen in the distance, and a few villagers were going about their lives, unaware of Midori and her friends.

"Relax!" Inuyasha said, reaching his arms up to stretch while they walked."I'm pretty sure Totosai can fix your necklace. Besides, I gotta see him anyway. There's too much I don't know about my own sword."

"Well, if you're going anyway, I don't see the harm in asking about it while we're there." Midori sighed, rubbing her eyes with her fist gently, trying to cast away the previous night's sleep. Small dark circles had formed under her eyes, and she looked a little thinner.

"Are you still tired, Midori-sama?" Miroku asked, looking concerned. "You've been looking a little pale lately. Are you ill?"

"Oh, no. I'm alright." Midori smiled reassuringly. "I just haven't been sleeping well."

That was an understatement. Midori had been having nightmares since she left the shrine, and when she woke from them, her entire being felt somehow drained, like she'd never see sunshine again. She wouldn't tell her friends, though. That would only worry them. Midori failed to notice Inuyasha, who had glanced at her while she was deep in thought.

"Well, if you say you're alright, then fine." Inuyasha sighed, looking away from Midori as they walked passed the village and into a dark forest at the base of a mountain. "But if you collapse while we're looking for jewel shards, it's your own fault."

"Well, I had no idea you were so thoughtful, Inuyasha." Midori smirked slightly as a gentle breeze filtered through the tall pines that surrounded them.

Inuyasha began spouting his usual nonesense and everyone laughed as the sunlight began to shine down on the forest around them, casting a cheerful yellow glow. Midori stopped for a moment and sniffed the air, her long black hair fluttering in the gentle breeze.

"Something's coming, guys." Midori said, her eyes still closed, nose to the wind. Everyone stopped, looking at Midori. "It's small, so it's probably nothing, but I can smell the faintest trace of youki from it. It's coming this way, fast."

"Inuyasha-sama!" Just as Midori had finished speaking, a small voice from overhead shouted down to them. They looked up to see a sparrow flying towards them. "Inuyasha-samaaaa!"

"Eh? A bird..?" Midori asked, watching the bird as it dove down and swooped over Inuyasha's head, and then flew away like nothing had happened. All was quiet for a few seconds as the bird flew out of sight, but then suddenly Inuyasha sighed and slapped his cheek, holding out his palm while a small insect floated down onto it.

"What do you want, Myouga-jiji?" Inuyasha grumbled down at his palm and everyone crowded around Inuyasha, looking at the little thing he held. It was a flea, though it was larger than normal, and it was wearing tiny clothes! "It's still too damn early to hear your annoying voice."

"Forgive me, Inuyasha-sama. I was just coming from Totosai's when I sensed your presence. There's something strange in the forest today! It feels like hundreds of souls all gathered together.." Myouga explained, looking up at Inuyasha, clearly worried. Instead, Inuyasha just sighed and pointed over at Midori, who had been standing in the backround somewhat, behind Kagome. "Oh? And who's this?"

"That's Midori. She's travelling with us." Inuyasha explained simply as Myouga turned to face Midori, who had grown increasingly pale as she backed away slowly. Everyone seemed to notice her reaction.

"Midori-sama?" Sango asked, looking concerned as she walked over to Midori, putting a hand on Midori's trembling shoulder. "Are you feeling alright?"

"O-of course!" Midori stammered, trying to smile, but that just made her look even more awkward. "I'm totally fine!"

"Could it be that.. You're afraid of bugs..?" Sango asked, her tone gentle. Midori stiffened slightly.

"Eheheheh.." Midori laughed nervously, trying to hide a shudder of fear. "Not bugs in general, just anything that sucks blood. Leeches are the worst.."

"Aw, well you don't have to be afraid of Myouga. He won't hurt you." Inuyasha looked down at the flea in his palm, noticing that he had been licking his chops and readying to jump at Midori. Instead, Myouga froze instantly, hearing Inuyasha's tone take a dangerous turn. "Right?"

"Eheheheh! Of course not! I wouldn't dream of it!" Myouga replied nervously, scratching his head as he looked up at Inuyasha, a sweat droplet forming on his brow.

"So?" Kagome changed the subject as Sango tried to calm Midori. "Why were you at Totosai's?"

"Oh! That's right. He wanted me to help him move. Apparently, Sesshoumaru-dono has been asking him about a sword that could rival Inuyasha-sama's. Totosai told him he'd make one and to be back in ten days, but instead of making the sword.." Myouga paused, sighing reluctantly. "He's running away."

"Huh?" Inuyasha cried suddenly. "Is he stil there? We gotta see him before he leaves!"

"Yes, I do think so." Myouga looked thoughtful, nodding. "He was there when I left about an hour ago."

"Alright! Come on, guys!" Inuyasha turned to the group. "We gotta hurry! I wanna get there before Totosai leaves!"

And so the group set off, Inuyasha and Myouga in the lead, and Midori with Sango making up the rear, Midori still looking ahead nervously as they quickened their pace to make it to Totosai's cave. They travelled for about an hour and the sun had fully risen by the time they reached Totosai's cave. They stood at the entrance of the cave, looking inside as they heard a loud growling sound coming from within.

"What's that sound..?" Midori asked nervously, looking into the darkness of the cave. "It sounds like a dinosaur.."

"There's only one thing I know of that could make that sound." Inuyasha sighed, and walked into the cave, the rest of the group following behind. Soon, they came to an opening with the faint orange glow of a fire coming from inside. There, sitting at a stone table, was a little old man, resting his head on his arms as he snored loudly. "Totosai."

"He must have fallen asleep while he was packing.." Miroku mused, looking around at the half-packed bag that sat beside the table. "Do you think we should just let him sleep?"

"No way in hell." Inuyasha stomped up to the old man, put his foot against the man's shoulder and shoved him out of the chair roughly, shouting. "WAKE UP, OLD MAN!"

"Gyaacck!" Totosai cried as he landed on the stone floor, looking up at Inuyasha with his beady eyes, nursing his bruised pride. "What do you want, you mannerless whelp?"

"I thought you were supposed to be moving?" Inuyasha leered down at Totosai, grinning before he gestured back at Midori, who was just walking into the cave. "Besides, she's the one that wanted to see you. You've got one last order before you run away with your tail between your legs."

"A human? You brought a human in here?" Totosai stood, walking over to Midori, thumb on his chin, as he looked her over, inspecting her. "And a Miko, no less. No, wait a second. That necklace.."

"Ah, yeah." Midori smiled faintly, reaching up and carefully taking off her necklace, ignoring Myouga and Totosai's surprised looks as she transformed, and handed the necklace to Totosai. "The clasp was broken during a.. Disagreement, I guess, and Inuyasha told me you could fix it."

"Those markings.. Those tails.." Totosai looked over Midori once again, almost looking like he was admiring her while Midori shifted uncomfortably. "Kyuubi no Kitsune, huh?"

"Eheheh.. Yeah, I am.." Midori chuckled nervously, apparently uncomfortable under the inspecting eye of the old youkai as he leaned in and sniffed her warily.

"Wait a second.. That scent.. " Totosai paused for a moment and looked up at Midori's eyes for the first time. "You're one of Tamamo no Mae's brood, aren't you? I wasn't aware that she had kits!"

"Eh? How'd you know that, old man?" Inuyasha asked, sounding annoyed, but looking curious.

"Well, her scent of course." Totosai smiled proudly as he took the necklace that Midori had been holding out to him, looking it over briefly before he went to work repairing the clasp. "How old are you, child? Two hundred? Three hundred? It's been so long since I saw Tamamo."

"Actually, I'm 18.." Midori smiled nervously, wanting to suddenly shrink away. "I wasn't born from two demons like Shippo, or even a half demon like Inuyasha.. I was born to two humans."

"Eh?" Myouga and Totosai looked shocked, staring at Midori as she nodded sincerely, although she backed away a little bit when she saw Myouga staring at her, her snowy white tails wrapping around her a little bit for protection.

"Then that must mean.. Tamamo did it.. " Myouga mused, still looking at the uncomfortable Midori. "She always said she never wanted a mate, and that she'd find a way to increase her brood without mating.. Though why she would hide her lineage among humans is beyond me.."

"It was more of a curse, actually." Kagome sighed, walking over to Midori and placing a hand on her shoulder, noticing that she had gone silent. "It's a long story, so lets change the subject, alright?"

"Totosai, can you fix that necklace or not?" Inuyasha asked, picking up on Kagome's meaning and changing the subject, his arms crossed over his chest. "It's the last thing that girl has from her family, and it's been hiding her demonic traits and youki her whole life. She needs it."

"Of course I can fix it!" Totosai snapped, glaring at Inuyasha. "Give me an hour or two and it'll be just fine."

"Alright. We'll be outside then. It's too hot in here." Kagome said, leading Midori outside, the rest of the group following, untill Totosai's voice stopped them.

"Oh, Tamamo no Midori!" Midori stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide as she turned to look at Totosai, who hadn't noticed Midori's pause. "Would you mind staying for a moment? I'd like to discuss something with you. The rest of you can go, however."

"Uhm.. Alright.. I guess.." Midori stammered, profusely uncomfortable with being called Tamamo no Midori, but she turned to Kagome, who nodded and then led the group outside, leaving Midori alone with Totosai.

"What is it that you'd like to discuss, Totosai-dono?" Midori asked, walking back over to the old demon.

"This necklace.." Totosai turned and held the jade magatama up to his eye-level. "There are souls inside it, yes?"

"Hai, Totosai-dono." Midori nodded, sitting on the stone chair Totosai gestured to as he stood in front of her. She spoke reluctantly, not knowing what his reaction would be when she admitted the truth. "They're the souls of the Abe line.."

"Oh ho? So old Tamamo decided to hide her children within that old codger's family, huh?" Totosai mused, looking over the little jade pendant knowingly. "Serves him right."

"What do you mean?" Midori asked, watching Totosai as he sat down and started fiddling with the clasp on the necklace.

"Abe no Seimei.." Totosai spoke after a few moments of silence. "He betrayed Tamamo."

"Eh?" Midori didn't understand, but somewhere inside of her, she somehow knew, and she listened to Totosai's tale, all the while fighting the strong chill that was trailing down her spine.

"Abe no Seimei was Tamamo's lover." Totosai sighed softly, sitting down on the chair at the table, Midori's necklace in front of him. "He had saved her once, and they became lovers soon afterwards. Years went by, and soon Emperor Konoe took the throne. Seimei wasn't happy with the way that Konoe was ruling, so he and Tamamo plotted to kill him. It was difficult, because there were so many skilled Onmyouji in Kyoto at the time, but eventually, Tamamo was able to enter the court under the guise of a samurai's daughter, enticing the Emperor and causing him to fall ill. Oh, the Emperor went to every Onmyouji he could find, but no one had answers for his illness. They had all been silenced by Abe no Seimei. Soon, the Emperor went to Seimei, and promised him land and wealth if only he would save the Emperor from his illness. Taken in by common Human greed, Seimei agreed, and they went to Tamamo, and Seimei killed her.."

"Tamamo realized what he had done, and with her dying breath, she cursed Seimei. I didn't know what she'd cursed him with untill today, but now it all makes sense. She cast the spell that hid her offspring within the Abe line, to forever remind them of Seimei's greed." Totosai turned to Midori with a somber smile, his face wrinkling like old leather. "You're the spitting image of your mother, Midori. I'd imagine you're a powerful fighter in a battle, what with the blood of Tamamo and the Abe line within you. You should be proud."

Midori could only look at the old youkai, her eyes wide. She hadn't been told any of this! Somehow it felt right, but she couldn't fight off the feeling of deep seated cold that flowered in her core, causing her to shiver internally.

* * *

><p>After an hour or two had passed, Midori left the cave with her repaired necklace in her hands. She shielded her eyes from the bright sunlight as she walked out into the forest, where Kagome and the others were sitting on a fallen log, laughing and joking about something as she walked over to them.<p>

"Oh! Midori-chan!" Shippo cheered, bounding over to Midori, not noticing her listless expression. "How'd it go? Is your necklace fixed now?"

"Yeah, it's fine now." Midori forced a smile, but Kagome and the others looked worried. Midori hadn't yet put the necklace on, and so she was still transformed into her demon self. Her eyes, which normally glittered like polished jade, were now a dull shade of dusty green, and her tails drooped somewhat, almost touching the dirt as they trailed behind her.

"Midori-chan..?" Shippo looked up at her with a worried expression as he noticed the change in Midori, but she ignored it, forcing the smile.

"I'm going to go for a walk, alright?" Midori said, trying to sound cheerful. "I'm going to go look for some herbs. I noticed we're running a little low."

"Would you like me to come with you?" Kagome asked, moving to stand.

"No no, it's alright. I'll be fine on my own." Midori waved, walking passed the group with her fake smile as she walked deeper into the dense forest. "I'll be back before sunset."

Midori quickly disappeared into the forest, leaving her worried friends behind as she tried to escape from her own thoughts. She didn't even pay attention to where she was walking, or how fast she was going. All she knew was that she had to get away for a while, and her instincts took over as she gradually quickened her pace into a run. The forest around her grew darker and darker untill she stopped at the base of a very old tree, resting against it to catch her breath. Looking around, she saw that no sunlight filtered through the trees here, and a fine mist rolled lazily across the ground. The whole forest smelled wet, like it had just rained, but there hadn't been a cloud in the sky for days.

Sighing, Midori stood upright after catching her breath, and looked around the dark, dank forest. There were no animal sounds around her, and occasionally a cold breeze would tickle her face weakly. It was then that a familiar scent reached her nose. Midori stiffened, scanning the forest through narrowed eyes. It was a jewel shard.

"Maybe this is just what I need.." Midori thought, sighing once again. "It could help me take my mind off things."

Midori continued on through the forest, moving silently through the sticks and dead leaves that carpetted the forest floor untill she came to a clearing, where sunlight barely penetrated the thick canopy of foliage above her. Walking out into the clearing, the scent of the jewel shard was nearby, as well as another scent. A human's. Midori shielded her eyes for a moment, and her eyes adjusted quickly to reveal a human child, a little girl, standing in the center of the clearing. A few feet away, a huge centipede demon rushed towards her, and Midori's body acted on it's own.

"Stay behind me, kid." Midori commanded, suddenly appearing in front of the child, her eyes never leaving the demon that was barreling towards them. She heard the child gasp in surprise, but the child didn't seem to run away, instead, she stood behind Midori obediantly.

"Oh ho? And what is this? Another demon?" The centipede demon slowed to a stop, rearing up to tower over Midori and the child that was hidden behind her. "And here I was content with a light snack, but it looks like this is my lucky day! I get a full meal!"

"Yeah, well it looks like you're healthy enough, what with that jewel shard in your belly!" Midori growled up at the insect, her tails fluffing out somewhat as her body tensed for battle. Midori hadn't even noticed that her claws had grown sharper, and her tails had fanned out around her, providing a shield for the small child at her back. "You look like you could use a diet!"

"You know I have a jewel shard, and yet you still think to challenge me? How foolish!" The centipede laughed, it's mandibles clicking dangerously as it looked down at Midori.

"Hey kid." Midori began, glancing over her shoulder at the child behind her. She was no more than eight years old, wearing an orange and green kimono. She looked up at Midori with wide eyes when she was addressed. "Close your eyes, alright? This isn't something a kid should see."

"Alright.." The child nodded, and closed her eyes right away. Midori smiled slightly. She had always liked kids.

"Ignoring me, huh?" The insect's voice boomed through the clearing once again. "That shall be your undoing, woman!"

The centipede reared back before lunging at Midori, but it was already too late for the beast. Midori jumped into the air with ease, her body tensed before she landed a powerful kick against the insect's head, sending it flying to the side, away from the child. But Midori wasn't done yet. She still had a jewel shard to collect. Midori landed in the wet grass and walked over to the centipede slowly, watching it as it tried to shake off the blow.

"So, the big bad bug likes to pick on helpless children, huh?" Midori asked the demon, her tone icy cold and calm. The insect noticed the change and turned to look at her, backing away slowly. But Midori was already an arm's width away. She grabbed one of it's many legs and shot a deathly glare into it's eyes. "I despise things like you!"

"What are you doing? Stop!" The insect shouted, struggling to get away, but Midori placed her clawed hand directly over the insect's abdomen, right where the jewel shard was located.

"I'll be taking this jewel shard from you now!" Midori forced her hand into the insect, grasping the jewel shard and pulling her hand back, ignoring the cries of pain from the great towering beast. "You don't deserve it."

Midori turned away, shaking the bug guts from her hand and looking down at the ooze covered shard that lay in her palm. Kagome would be impressed, Midori thought, as she looked down at the shard. It was a sizeable piece, bigger than anything Kagome currently had, and Midori watched as the dark purple shard slowly lightened into the pale pink of a purified shard. It reminded Midori of a sakura petal.

"Nee-san! Watch out!" Midori heard the child shout just as she felt a faint rumbling behind her.

"And here I was going to let you live, Aho." Midori turned and looked over her shoulder at the charging centipede. In the blink of an eye, Midori had clawed through the centipede, slicing down it's sizeable length. It easily split in two as it fell on either side of Midori, the ground shaking as it hit the dirt. Midori just sighed, looking down at the twitching corpse. "Foolish thing."

"You okay, kid?" Midori asked, walking over to the child and kneeling down so she could check her over for any injuries.

"I'm okay!" The little child smiled brightly, looking at Midori. "Thank you for saving me! Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

"No worries. I kinda had my own reason to kill that thing anyway." Midori held up the shard for a moment before she stashed it in her obi. "So what's your name, and why are you out here all my yourself?"

"My name is Rin!" The little girl chirped happily. "I was out here looking for herbs and mushrooms when that demon tried to eat me. Master Jaken was supposed to be with me, but he was sleeping and told me to fend for myself."

"Oh really?" Midori arched an eyebrow at the child and stood, placing a hand on her hips. "I think I'd like to meet this Master Jaken and give him a piece of my mind. Oh, my name is Midori, by the way."

"It's nice to meet you, Midori-sama!" Rin bowed enthusiastically. "But you don't have to worry about Master Jaken. I think I hear him coming now."

"RIIIINNN!" A high pitched, nasal scream echoed through the clearing, and Midori turned to see a small green imp dressed in a brown robe running at them as fast as his little legs could carry him. He was carrying an odd looking wooden staff with him and his eyes went wide when he saw Midori, stopping suddenly before he glared at her. "Get away from Rin, demon!"

"Oh ho, that's quite a tone to take with a stranger." Midori grinned slightly, looking over the little imp. "And I suppose you're Jaken, then?"

"Yes, I am Master Jaken, loyal vassal of the great Lord Sesshoumaru!" Jaken shouted, puffing his chest out in a show of pride before he looked back at Midori with a wicked glare. "And just who are you, wench?"

"Midori." Midori answered simply, and then she got an idea. A wicked grin of her own slowly spread across her lips as she looked down at the little imp, her tone cool and cold. "Tamamo no Midori."

"Tamamo..?" Jaken's glare faltered for a moment, and Midori held back the urge to chuckle as she guaged his reaction while he choked out her name.

"Ne, Midori-sama.." Midori felt a tug on her hakama and she looked down to see Rin looking up at her. "Could you help me find some herbs?"

"Of course, little one." Midori smiled down at the child warmly, ignoring Jaken's infuriated spluttering as he was excluded from the conversation. "I would love to. I was actually on my way to find herbs when I smelled the jewel shard."

Rin smiled brightly up at Midori, her little face lighting up like the sun. Just then, Midori felt something heavy shift in her sleeve and felt a coolness press against her forearm.

"Oh, I almost forgot. One second, sweetheart." Midori paused, pulling something from her sleeve. It was her necklace. Rin and Jaken watched as Midori pulled the strange necklace over her head, and she transformed into a human, her markings and tails disappearing, fading into nothing almost instantly as she sighed. "There we go. I have to be careful about who sees me these days."

"H-how did you do that?" Jaken screeched, pointing his staff at Midori. "You were just a demon! How did you turn into a disgusting human all of a sudden?"

"Oh that's funny, you calling me disgusting." Midori drawled, turning her back to Jaken as she walked over to the corpse of the centipede demon she had previously slain, kicking it's corpse out of the clearing and into the forest, out of sight.

"What do you mean by that, wench?" Jaken howled, fuming.

"I'm just saying," Midori began, shrugging casually as she walked back over to Rin, her expression disinterested. "Something that looks like a slimy over-grown treefrog doesn't really have much room to talk when he calls someone else disgusting."

"How dare you!" Jaken screeched, sounding more like someone had stepped on him, glaring daggers at Midori. "When Lord Sesshoumaru returns, you will feel his wrath!"

"Oh? Hm... Sesshoumaru.. Sesshoumaru.." Midori spoke the name a few times, getting used to the feel of it, suddenly looking deep in thought. "I wonder why that name sounds so familiar.. Oh yeah.. That old flea, Myouga, mentioned something about a Sesshoumaru something or other a few hours ago.."

"Myouga?" Jaken suddenly looked taken aback for a few moments, and then he looked at Midori, suspicion clear in his eyes. "Are you travelling with that half-breed Inuyasha?"

"You know him?" Midori asked innocently, but she didn't wait for his answer, instead she looked over to Rin, who was beginning to look bored. "You ready to go looking for herbs?"

"Uh huh!" Rin smiled, and Midori took her hand. They both turned and walked away from Jaken to the other side of the clearing to look for herbs, leaving the imp alone and ignored once again.

Midori and Rin talked casually as they searched the clearing for herbs under the watchful eye of Jaken, who occasionally insulted them only to recieve a glare or two from Midori. The sun had begun it's descent when Midori stood and stretched slowly, her muscles aching from kneeling over for so long. She closed her eyes and let her muscles relax, and then a strangely familiar scent reached her nose. She opened her eyes, wondering what Inuyasha was doing so far from Totosai's cave and turned just in time to see Jaken jump up and stare at the treeline.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin cried happily, jumping up as a figure walked into the clearing. "You've returned!"

"Oh? So that's Sesshoumaru, huh?" Midori mused, looking him over. He looked to be about her age, physically, but there was something different about him. He had an aura of power and dominance about him as he walked into the clearing, completely ignoring Jaken's groveling. His armor was decidedly of Mainland origin, his kimono and sashinuki hakama pure white, except for the streaks of red that held a chrysanthemum design that showed he was of royal birth. He had some sort of furry pelt draped over his shoulder, and there were blue and magenta markings on his face and wrists. Long white hair flowed behind him, and his gold colored eyes scanned the clearing for a moment before they came to rest on Midori.

"Jaken, who is this?" He asked, his voice full of authority as he looked at Midori, his face expressionless, but his eyes showed a flicker of curiousity.

"She says her name is Tamamo no Midori, my lord." Jaken scrambled to Sesshoumaru's side, studdering and grovelling like an idiot. "Though she did not have this appearance when I first saw her. She was a Youkai only a few hours ago."

"Interesting." Sesshoumaru said simply, walking up to Midori, his eyes narrowed slightly. "Woman, you say your name is Tamamo? The Tamamo demon clan died out centuries ago. How is it that you, who appear human, know of them? And how is it that you have no scent?"

"I guess it's a mystery to us all." Midori sighed, not wanting to reveal her secret to yet another demon. There was something about this Sesshoumaru guy that she didn't quite trust.

"Woman, do not be rude to Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken cried, waving his staff around. Midori caught it easily and yanked it out of his hands.

"I don't really know who you are, sir, but your vassal has been increasingly annoying." Midori gave an exhausted sigh before she held the hideous looking staff out to Sesshoumaru, continuing. "I suppose it was nice meeting you, but I have to be going. My friends are waiting for me, and I told them I would be back before sunset."

"Hn.." Sesshoumaru took the staff from Midori's outstretched hand and Midori bowed politely before she turned and walked away, smiling and waving kindly to Rin, disappearing into the forest silently.

"Rin, do you know that woman?" Sesshoumaru asked after a few minutes of silence. He tossed the staff at Jaken, squarely hitting him on the head, before he walked over to Rin, awaiting her answer.

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin chirped, beaming up at him. "She saved my life this morning! Jaken told me to go pick herbs by myself today, and Midori-sama saved me from the demon that attacked me."

"Hn.." Sesshoumaru turned and cast a deathly glare at Jaken, who cowered.

"She didn't look the same, though.. She had so many pretty white tails!" Rin continued, suddenly looking thoughtfully into the forest where Midori had disappeared. "Actually, they looked a lot like your Mokomoko, Sesshoumaru-sama!"

Sesshoumaru paused for a moment, mulling over the information that Rin had just relayed to him. The Tamamo clan had died out centuries ago, when Tamamo no Mae had been killed by her human lover, Abe no Seimei.. He knew the story well. But Tamamo no Mae didn't have any children, and she was the last in her clan. It couldn't be possible for that young woman to be of the Tamamo clan, could it? She was very interesting after all..

"Jaken." Sesshoumaru spoke, walking towards the treeline where Midori had disappeared. "Look after Rin. If any harm comes to her, I'll kill you."

"Yes, my lord!" Jaken squeaked from somewhere behind him, and soon, Sesshoumaru disappeared into the forest as well.


	5. Misguided Ghosts

Midori returned to Totosai's cave shortly after sunset, hearing the chattering and laughter of her friends as she stepped out of the forest. They had built a small campfire just outside the cave, and were sitting around it, roasting fresh meat over the merry flames. They all looked up when they saw her.

"Midori-chan!" Kagome cried, almost dropping her dinner as she stood and ran over to Midori. "Are you alright? You were gone for so long, we got worried!"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Actually.." Midori pulled the jewel shard from her obi, handing it to Kagome with a sly smile. "I brought you a present."

"So, you went out for herbs, and you come back with a jewel shard?" Sango asked, an eyebrow arched. "This should be an interesting story."

"Hmph! At least we got _something_ done today!" Inuyasha grumbled before he took a huge bite out of the food he was holding.

"Yeah, sorry I kinda disappeared for a while." Midori said, looking at Sango. "I just needed time to think. While I was in the woods, I sensed a jewel shard and saw a demon about to attack a little girl, so I kinda acted on instinct."

"Oh geez! Is the kid okay?" Kagome asked, looking concerned.

"She's fine. When I left, she had people looking after her. Some slimy looking green imp.." Midori explained, not noticing how Inuyasha and the others sharply looked up at her as she walked over to warm herself by the fire. "And this other guy.. He kinda reminded me of Inuyasha at first, but he turned out to be really cold and kinda high and mighty. I think his name was..."

"Sesshoumaru." Inuyasha finished with a growl. He wasn't looking at Midori, instead he was looking into the forest behind her. His eyes were fierce.

"Yeah, that's it, actually. How'd you know?" Midori asked, and then Sesshoumaru's scent reached her nose and she sighed. "Oh. He's standing right behind me, isn't he?"

"Yeah.." Shippo nodded, looking behind Midori with wide eyes as he slowly inched his way behind Sango.

"What d'ya want, Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha growled, standing up quickly, his hand on the hilt of his sword. Midori turned to find Sesshoumaru was indeed standing behind her, his eyes locked on hers.

"I have no business with you today, little brother." He said coolly, never taking his eyes from Midori. "I do however have some questions for the woman there."

"Eh?" Midori blinked for a moment, raising an eyebrow. "What could you possibly need to ask me?"

"Are you the child of Tamamo no Mae?" Sesshoumaru asked simply, and Midori felt her skin go cold.

"So that imp talked, huh? I guess I shouldn't have given him my name." Midori sighed, forcing a cool and collected expression as she looked away from Sesshoumaru's piercing gaze, unconsciously reaching up to squeeze the magatama pendant at her throat. "Yes, I guess in a way, I am the child of Tamamo no Mae. It's a long story that I really don't feel like recounting, and I don't really see how it has anything to do with you."

"Do you know nothing of your own clan's history?" Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed dangerously and his tone set Midori on edge. "The Tamamo clan battled my clan for dominance over Kyoto when my father was still alive. Our two clans have been at odds for centuries."

"You'll have to forgive my ignorance of my clan's history, Sesshoumaru." Midori said a little too bluntly, earning her a glare, but she continued, trying to sound as calm as possible, even though she could feel her skin crawling. "I'm afraid I'm a little out of the loop, as I was raised by humans my entire life."

"Raised by humans?" Sesshoumaru almost sounded surprised. "What do you mean by that?"

"Very simply, Sesshoumaru-sama.." Myouga spoke up timidly, hiding under Inuyasha's hair. "Midori was born only eighteen years ago, to a pair of humans descended from Abe no Seimei. From what I overheard, those humans believed it was a curse for their children to be born as youkai, and did everything in their power to hide them away."

Midori went still suddenly, hearing Myouga speaking so casually about her family. A flood of unpleasant memories floated back to her and she could do nothing to stop them. That same feeling of cold once again blossomed in her core and she looked down at the ground she was standing on, her bangs shadowing her face in the dim firelight. Her senses began to tingle, and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end as a cold breeze rustled through the trees. Something wasn't right.

"Myouga.." Midori interupted the flea, her voice icy cold, and everyone, including Sesshoumaru, noticed the change. "Stop talking, please."

"B-but, Midori-sama!" Myouga studdered, but Midori cut him off again.

"We're being watched." She said simply, turning and looking up at the pitch black sky, her eyes sharp as they scanned the treetops. "One.. two.. three.. four.. five.. There are five demon wasps in the treeline back there. They've been listening in on our conversation.."

"What?" Kagome and Inuyasha whirled around to look, and just as they turned, the five wasps took flight. "Saimyosho! Don't let them get away!"

Inuyasha took off, crashing into the forest as he tried to catch the insects, but Midori stood still, strangely calm. Sesshoumaru watched as she brought her hand up slowly, pointing at the insects, Kagome's voice reaching his ears.

"Midori, are you sure you can get them in time?" Kagome asked, looking worried. Slowly, a soft flickering green glow formed at the tip of Midori's delicate index finger.

"I'll try." Midori said simply, and then the glow shot from her fingertip, barreling through the demon wasps with a blurring speed. Sesshoumaru watched carefully, his eyes sharp as he took in every detail. The wasps broke apart with one hit from that light, disintegrating into ash and smouldering green cinders.

"So then.." Midori said calmly, turning to face Sesshoumaru, her face shadowed and expressionless as the green light returned to her and slowed, floating around her in lazy circles like a firefly. "Since I am apparently the last surviving member of the Tamamo clan, that would make me the head of the clan, correct? And as such, I would like to propose a truce, Sesshoumaru. I have no interest in stirring up old grudges, and I certainly have no interest in fighting you."

Midori's words surprised everyone, even Sesshoumaru, though he hid it well. There was a long stretch of silence, broken only by the soft humming of the flickering light that floated around Midori protectively. The firefly light floated across Midori's face briefly, illuminating her features for only a fraction of a second, but Sesshoumaru saw her face. It was as expressionless and cold as his own, but her eyes bespoke of some deep sadness. She looked... Empty.

"Hn.." Sesshoumaru thought over her words carefully before he nodded once and turned away to walk back into the forest. "Very well. I shall accept your truce."

And so Sesshoumaru left them, walking back into the dark forest. The light around Midori slowly blinked itself out and Midori took a deep, steadying breath before she turned to the surprised faces of her friends. A few minutes later, Inuyasha came back from the forest and Kagome told him what had happened. They talked for a short while longer, but the rest of the night was spent in silence.

* * *

><p>She was cold. For a few moments, that's all Midori's mind could register. A pure, bone-deep cold that seemed to surround her body like ice water. She couldn't remember what she had been dreaming about, only that her heart pounded heavily against her chest and she couldn't seem to draw a deep enough breath, her lungs feeling like they were about to burst. Her sister's face was the last image that floated from her sleep-addled mind as she felt herself being moved around carefully by a pair of strong arms. She was being carried by someone.<p>

"Midori!" A faint voice reached her mind, and she tried to open her eyes. They were so heavy! "Midori, wake up!"

Midori forced her eyes open with a barely audible groan, feeling a warm hand on her forehead brushing her hair from her face. She hissed softly as the light burned her eyes, wincing untill they gradually adjusted. She was looking up into a pair of golden eyes, a few strands of silvery hair covering the person's face.

"Inuyasha?" Midori whispered weakly, frowning. "The sun hasn't even risen yet, dumbass. What are you doing waking me up so early?"

"Yeah, nice try." Inuyasha grumbled slightly, and Midori could make out the faintest trace of pink across Inuyasha's cheeks. "It's sunset, and you've been asleep all day."

"Huh..?" Midori didn't understand. They had just gone to sleep an hour ago, she was sure of it. But before she could reply further, the bright light dimmed and Inuyasha came to a stop, leaning forward and placing Midori on some sort of soft surface. It felt so warm! It was all Midori could do not to sigh, snuggle against it and fall back asleep.

"Is she going to be okay?" She heard Shippo's voice from somewhere nearby, but she didn't have the strength to look around as Inuyasha pulled a blanket up to Midori's chin. "She's not looking too good."

"Miroku, Sango, could you go out and gather herbs for me? Inuyasha, I need you to help Totosai and get the forge burning. That should warm this cave up, and hopefully Midori's fever will break." Midori could hear Kagome's voice, assigning everyone roles like she usually did. It was amusing to her, how Kagome could be so bossy sometimes.

"Hnph. Well, at least she's well enough to smile." Inuyasha grumbled before he walked away, his bare feet shuffling across the stone floor.

"Kagome-sama, I would like to offer my assistance." That was Myouga's voice this time. "She may have been poisoned by something. I may know more if you could take her amulet off."

Midori felt the bed shift slightly and felt warm hands around her neck, gently tugging at the clasp of her pendant before pulling away, the beads gently twinkling as they brushed against each other. Something was tickling her cheek, and then Midori felt something like a pinprick and she flinched. After a moment, the pain subsided and she relaxed.

"Well?" Kagome asked, her voice sounding concerned. "What do you think?"

"Hm.." Myouga mused, his voice sounding very close. "There's no trace of poison, and yet she is still ill.. Let me see that pendant for a moment."

There was a faint shuffling once again, and Midori felt something being lain out across her stomach. After a few moments of silence, Myouga began speaking again.

"Strange.. This pendant has souls within it. The markings on these beads are strange as well."

"Hey, Kagome.." Inuyasha's voice reached Midori's ears and she heard his footsteps again, and then his tone changed. "Hey! Her color is coming back!"

"Oh! You're right!" Kagome sounded surprised. "Maybe this pendant has something to do with it. We just took it off.."

"But that doesn't make any sense. Didn't she say she's been wearing that pendant her whole life? Why would she be getting sick now..?" Inuyasha said with a sigh. There was a long pause.

"Hm.. It's a long shot, but I think I may know.." Myouga said. "Did she happen to mention if any of her relatives suddenly took ill around their eighteenth birthday?"

"Yeah, actually." Kagome said. "She said that the first child cursed by Tamamo no Mae mysteriously got sick around her eighteenth birthday.."

Midori slowly started regaining the feeling in her limbs, and the prickly sensation caused her to gasp slightly as she tried to move. It felt as if her entire body had fallen asleep, but she forced herself to ignore it, bringing a hand up to her forehead. She was drenched in a cold sweat, and everything felt heavy as she tried to push herself up.

"Easy, easy! Don't rush yourself!" Kagome commanded, and Midori felt hands on her shoulders, gently trying to push her back down. "You were practically in a coma untill half an hour ago!"

"I feel like I actually might slip into a coma if I keep laying down.." Midori managed a faint grumble as she weakly pushed the hands away and forced herself into a sitting position. The room was spinning, and Midori blinked a few times to steady herself. Eventually, her eyes adjusted once again and she found herself in Totosai's cave, laying on a pile of ratty blankets and furs. Kagome and Inuyasha were sitting next to her, looking concerned, and Myouga quickly jumped away from Midori, hiding himself on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"What happened..?" Midori asked, still a little uneasy as she looked around.

"We don't know." Kagome admitted, her features darkening slightly. "But we think it may have something to do with your necklace. When we took your necklace off, you suddenly started to get better. But I don't think you should be moving around yet."

"My necklace?" Midori blinked a few times and then looked down at the necklace laying in her lap. Suddenly, she noticed something that made her frown. "There's a chip in the Magatama.. It wasn't there before. Aneue said if the necklace ever got damaged, it would be rendered useless.."

"Oh!" Myouga cried out, startling Midori slightly. "I just remembed what the markings on those beads are!"

"What are they, Myouga-jiji?" Inuyasha asked, reaching over and carefully picking up the beads from Midori's lap.

"Those markings are an old Onmyoudo spell, similar to your Subjugation beads, Inuyasha-sama." Myouga began, taking the tone of a teacher lecturing his pupils. "They essentially subjugate any demonic traits of the wearer, either hiding them completely, or replacing them with human traits. However, instead of requiring a third party to say the right word to force subjugation, this spell merely requires a willing soul, and it will subjugate the wearer for as long as they are wearing the necklace."

"That doesn't explain why Midori suddenly got sick, Myouga." Kagome sighed, watching Inuyasha carelessly twirl Midori's necklace around his finger, only half paying attention to Myouga.

"Ah, but there is a chip in the Magatama." Myouga continued, "The magatama must be undamaged for the spell to remain in effect properly. I can only imagine that when the pendant was damaged, the strength of the soul-sealing spell was weakened, and some of the souls within the magatama escaped, bringing the soul of Abe no Seimei closer to the surface.."

"What does Abe no Seimei have to do with this?" Midori asked, the sudden flood of information making her dizzy and annoyed. "Get to the point, please."

"Abe no Seimei was a powerful Onmyouji, and he was famous for ruthlessly killing any youkai that would not bend to his will." Myouga said, his features darkening and his tone turning serious. "It was common knowledge that he despised Tamamo no Mae for cursing his family, and he tried everything in his power to rid himself of that curse. I suppose, in the end, he settled for just killing off those descendants who were unlucky enough to have the curse passed on to them."

"I assume every youkai in your family has been given that necklace?" Myouga looked at Midori. She was trembling and pale, but she nodded, unable to speak. This couldn't be right.. "Abe no Seimei's soul is inside that pendant, so the legend tells. He gave up the chance of reincarnation to protect his bloodline, and I would imagine that he isn't too happy with his decision."

"I think I understand now.." Midori whispered, and the room went silent, all eyes were on her. "These nightmares I've been having, every night since I left the shrine. They've been getting worse and worse with each night. All this time, it's been him. My ancestor, Abe no Seimei."

"His soul must have gotten sucked into the magatama before it was completed." Midori continued, drawing her knees to her chest with a shuddering sigh, her hair falling at odd angles, clinging to her sweat-stained face. "If he hated youkai so much, I can only imagine how he feels now. Years upon years of new youkai souls being added to the magatama, and he's the only hanyou soul.."

"What?" Inuyasha sat straight up, his eyes wide as he was suddenly paying attention. "That old onmyouji was a hanyou?"

"You didn't know?" Midori asked Inuyasha, looking up at him slightly, her eyes wide. "Abe no Seimei's mother was a kitsune."

"Hm.." Myouga mused, ignoring Inuyasha's startled reaction. "Yes, I heard that too. The reason why he hated youkai so much was because his own mother was a youkai. She was found out one day, and prompty abandoned her husband and young Seimei. No one seemed to know for sure, as he took after his father and looked completely human, but of course you know how rumors can spread.."

"So what do we do?" Kagome asked finally, looking at the necklace Inuyasha had dropped on the bed. "We know the necklace is making Midori ill, and it will probably kill her if she keeps wearing it."

"The only option is to destroy it completely, and release the souls that have been trapped within it." Myouga said, sitting down on Inuyasha's shoulder and folding his arms over his chest, looking serious. "But it must be Midori that destroys it. We do not know what will happen when the souls are released."

With that said, the conversation about the necklace ended. Inuyasha left the cave without a word, looking annoyed, and Kagome promptly forced Midori to lay back down and rest. Sango and Miroku returned a few hours later, carrying large baskets filled with medicinal herbs that they combined into a strong smelling tea. Midori had been tasked to choke down at least two cups of the tea every time she woke.

* * *

><p>A week passed by slowly as Midori was nursed back to relative health. Totosai had let the group stay with him in his cave, provided that Inuyasha and the others helped him with the chores and deliveries. Midori often woke to the rhythmic ting of a hammer against an anvil, or the hiss of steam as a hot blade was lowered into a tub of water. Somehow these sounds didn't bother her. Instead, she would sometimes lay in the makeshift bed with her eyes closed just so she could keep listening to the sounds of people working around her.<p>

Gradually, Midori regained her strength enough to leave the makeshift bed, cautiously peering over Totosai's shoulder as he tempered and shaped a blade. He would laugh and tell her to sit, and after a while, he began to tell her what he was doing, explaining how to create a good blade. Midori was enthralled, much to the amusement of Kagome and the others.

One day, Midori awoke before dawn, and all was silent. She opened her eyes and sat up, finding a fresh kimono at her bedside, and mysteriously, a new weapon. The cave was empty, so she quickly dressed, smoothing her hair with her fingers and tying it back loosely with a leather cord. The kimono was simple, it's colors dark, depicting a scene of a forest clearing at night, with the moon shining down through the trees. Tiny fireflies had been embroidered into the design with pale green silk thread, and they reminded Midori of her shikigami Hotaru.

"Did you find your new toy yet, Midori?" Inuyasha stood at the opening to the cave, leaning against the stone wall, looking away from her as she finished tying her obi.

"My new toy?" Midori asked, blinking. "Oh, you mean the sword? I didn't know that was for me."

"Yeah." Inuyasha said simply. "It's a gift from all of us. Come on outside and I'll show you how to use it."

"I know how to wield a sword, Inuyasha." Midori grinned, picking up the sword and walking to the opening of the cave. The sun was just beginning to rise, and Midori could hear the voices of Totosai and her friends outside.

"Oh really?" Inuyasha said with a slight grin. "Lets see what you can do with that thing, then."

"You guys actually have great timing." Midori commented, looking over the simple design on the sheath. "Since I can't wear my pendant anymore, I'll have to learn what it means to be a demon.. I won't be able to use my Shikigami."

"Well, I can teach you that, dummy." Inuyasha snorted, reaching up and ruffling Midori's hair gently. "And Shippo can teach you how to use Fox Fire while we travel."

"Hey!" Midori reached up and smoothed her hair, shooting a playful glare at Inuyasha as the two left the cave side by side.

As Midori's eyes adjusted, she could see her friends sitting on the fallen log to the side of the cave, talking with Totosai, who was busily stuffing tools into a huge green bag. The conversation died down as Midori walked over to her friends, and all eyes turned to her.

"Good morning, everyone." Midori smiled awkwardly, automatically reaching up to squeeze her pendant, only to suddenly remember that it wasn't there anymore and there was something more important than sparring. "Inuyasha, would you mind holding off on that sparring match for a little while? I have to take care of something.."

"What is it, Midori?" Inuyasha didn't seem to understand and he looked at Midori, blinking stupidly.

"My necklace.." Midori said quietly, and Inuyasha had a look of realization as she spoke. "I have to take care of my necklace.."

"Alright." Inuyasha nodded, his expression somber as he pulled Midori's necklace from his sleeve, handing it to her. "Here."

"Thank you." Midori took the necklace hesitantly, looking it over with sad eyes, and then she turned to Totosai, who had since stopped packing. "Totosai, what would you recommend I do if I wanted to destroy this and release the souls?"

"Well, that depends." Totosai replied, looking at the necklace thoughtfully. "Though I suppose a good solid strike from a sacred arrow should do the trick."

"Okay, thanks." Midori nodded, and turned to Kagome, who had heard the conversation and was already standing up, a single arrow in her hand.

"Come on, we'll do it together." Kagome smiled warmly and took Midori's hand, leading her a short distance away from the cave to a large flat rock. Inuyasha and the others followed a short distance behind and watched as Midori lay her pendant across the rock.

"Thank you, Kagome." Midori said as Kagome held the arrow above the pendant and Midori gripped the arrow above Kagome's hand, her voice soft. "Thank you for being here for me."

There was no need for further conversation. Kagome and Midori channelled their energy into the arrow, and soon a pale pink light emerged from Kagome's hand, followed by a pale green light emerging from Midori's. The energies swirled around each other as they floated upwards like smoke. The two women paused, untill just the right moment while thoughts and memories flooded through Midori's mind.

This little jade magatama pendant had been in her family for hundreds of years. It had the souls of her ancestors sealed within it. It had been there for her when no human being in her family had ever been there. The cool weight of it against her chest comforted her when she was a child, and it reminded her of who she truely was. It was the last thing she had to remind her of her family. And as she and Kagome plunged the charged arrow into the piece of jade, Midori closed her eyes, wishing for the spirits of her family to finally be at peace.

Light erupted from between the two women as the jade magatama shattered, pushing the two of them back with such force that they landed on their backs. Inuyasha and the others ran over, picking up Kagome and Midori and pulling them away a few feet while they watched. Tiny flickering green lights poured out of the pendant's remains, floating up towards the sky before they blinked themselves out, fading into nothingness. There must have been hundreds, if not thousands of them. Tears came to Midori's eyes as she stood, watching the souls of her family, people who had been cursed like her, people who understood her suffering, floated away on an imaginary breeze. Midori knew now that the souls within her pendant had been her Shikigami. The souls of her family had protected her, aided her in battle, and watched over her when she was weak. They had been there, and now it was her turn to be there for them, to let them go.

Just when she thought it was over, the air around Midori seemed to change, growing colder as the energy from the magatama's remains changed from a pure, welcoming light, to a dark and ominous glow. Midori watched as a single orb, almost black, slowly floated up from the magatama and drifted over to her, stopping mere inches from her face.

"Seimei." Midori tensed. No sooner had she said the word, the orb circled around her menacingly. She didn't move, instead choosing to stand her ground.

"You have no more business in this world, Seimei. Move on!" Midori's voice was cool and collected at the beginning, and ended in a sharp command as she sent her energy at the black orb, sending it skittering away a few feet. Instead of returning to Midori, it simply fluttered downwards, eventually disappearing into the earth, leaving no traces of it's presence behind.

"It's done..." Midori released her words in a heavy sigh as she turned around to look at her friends. Kagome, Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango and Shippo were standing behind her, their smiles showing approval as she walked over to them with a strangely serene smile of her own. It was then that Midori realized something important. These people that surrounded here weren't just her friends, they were her new family. Nodding, she spoke once again, a soft tone of finality in her voice.

"It's done."


	6. Turn It Off

Midori stood in the center of a quiet clearing, sunlight warm against her skin. Birds chirped happily nearby and Midori took a steadying breath, focusing her energy into one place, compacting it as she closed her eyes. She imagined that she was in battle, like she always did when she was training, and she imagined the targets that she wanted needed to hit. Midori opened her eyes and exhaled, releasing her attack on the targets.

"Hinote Oonami!" Her voice echoed through the clearing and a shockwave exploded from her body, pale green fire scorching the air around her in a perfect circle, igniting and burning through the wooden target dummies she had made, leaving nothing but piles of ash.

"I think you've just about mastered that move, Midori-chan." Midori heard Kagome's cheerful voice behind her and she turned, smiling as she saw Kagome walking towards the training grounds.

"I just want to make sure it's perfect before I use it in actual battle." Midori grinned, walking over to Kagome. "You remember how pissed Inuyasha was when I accidentally hit him with a fireball."

"Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen him get so dramatic over an accident before!" Kagome laughed, handing Midori a bottle of water. "Then again, I don't think he knew that fox fire could actually burn his fireproof kimono."

"Probably not." Midori giggled and took the water bottle, opening it and promptly dumping the clear contents over her head, cooling her overheated body with a shrill squeak. Midori's tails fluffed out in surprise and she shivered, laughing when she noticed Kagome's surprised look. "Hey, I can't help it! Summer is almost here and I've been training all morning!"

Over the past two weeks, Midori had followed Kagome and her friends to Kaede's village, taking every chance she got to train her new demon abilities. Some days she would work on controlling fox fire with Shippo, and other days she would spar with Inuyasha. The first day she sparred with him, they had used wooden practice swords they fashioned from tree branches, and she had surprised him greatly by splitting his wooden sword clean in half with the first hit. Ever since then, they used their real weapons, and usually left their training area a complete mess when they were finished.

Midori had been learning a lot about herself these days, and she kept surprising herself. When Shippo had fallen from a tree and twisted his ankle, Midori had rushed to tend to him. When he suddenly stopped crying, Midori looked down to find her delicate hand glowing with a soft green light that seemed to heal Shippo's wound in a matter of minutes, and he was able to pick himself up and walk with her back to their camp. Ever since then, she took the time to summon that healing light again and again, untill she was confident that she would be able to use it at will.

"Anyway, come on. I have a theory I want to test out." Kagome said, taking Midori's hand and leading her out of the forest.

"Where are we going, Kagome?" Midori asked, looking around curiously as they left the forest and walked into a wide open grassy field, tiny white flowers dotting the ground.

"The Bone Eater's well." Kagome said, grinning over her shoulder. "I wanna see if you can get through to our time. That way if we need supplies, I don't always have to be the one to go, leaving Inuyasha in a terrible mood."

"Do you think it would be safe? I mean.. Your family lives on the other side of that well, and I don't exactly have the ability to look human anymore." Midori asked, looking concerned as she followed Kagome over to an old wooden well that looked like it had dried up centuries ago.

"Don't worry so much. Inuyasha has met my family before, and they seem to be just fine with him." Kagome reassured Midori as she hopped up onto the edge of the well. "Besides, you're much more laid back than he is. I'm sure you'll get along with them just fine."

"Does Inuyasha know we're leaving?" Midori asked and Kagome froze, causing Midori to laugh. "I'll take that as a no."

"Oh, it's just to get supplies!" Kagome grumbled playfully. "We'll be back before he even notices we're gone!"

"Alright, alright. Lets see if this even works, for starters." Midori sighed, hopping up onto the edge of the well. Kagome took the initiative and slid down into the well, disappearing with a flash of familiar blue light.

Midori took a steadying breath and then took a step forward, letting herself drop into the well. There was another flash of blue light, and when Midori's feet touched the ground, Kagome was standing next to her with a grin.

"I thought it might work!" Kagome said triumphantly. "I mean, after all, you're from the modern era anyway."

"Yeah yeah. Come on, lets get out of this well. It smells down here." Midori wrapped an arm around Kagome's waist, taking her by surprise before Midori jumped out of the well with ease, landing silently on the dirt floor of the well shrine.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that." Kagome admitted as Midori released her with a sheepish grin.

"Sorry about that. I guess I'm still getting used to my new strength." Midori chuckled awkwardly and followed Kagome up the steps and out the door of the well shrine, her tails fluttering nervously behind her.

"Oh, don't worry about it. Come on, lets go inside." Kagome smiled over her shoulder as she opened the front door to a quaint little two story house. The sound of a television could be heard coming from another room, and Midori could smell fresh tea. "Mom! Sota! Gramps! I'm home!"

"Welcome home, Kagome!" Midori heard an older woman's voice coming from the next room, and soon footsteps coming from the hall. A middle-aged woman appeared in the entryway while Midori and Kagome were slipping off their shoes. She had thick black hair like Kagome, and brown eyes. "Come on in and have some tea. Oh, who's you're friend, Kagome?"

"It's nice to meet you, ma'am." Midori smoothed out her hair and kimono before she bowed low to the woman, hoping to make a good impression. "My name is Midori Miyamori."

"Oh my! What good manners!" The woman's smile beamed and she beckoned the girls inside. "Come in, come in. And you don't have to call me "ma'am", feel free to call me Mama or Nodoka if you're more comfortable with that."

"Mom, where's Gramps?" Kagome asked, looking around cautiously.

"Oh, he's in the den with Sota, helping him with his homework." Nodoka said with a faint sigh. "I expect he'll throw a fit when he sees your new friend. Don't pay him any mind, dear."

"Come on, Midori. Lets have some tea before we pack up the supplies. It's been ages since I've been home!" Kagome smiled as she walked down the hall.

Nodoka went back into the kitchen and Midori followed Kagome closely, feeling a little uncomfortable as they walked into the spacious room. There was a table sitting in the center of the room, and a young boy sat on one side, looking through a book, and an elderly man sat across from him, looking at a television that sat in the corner. Both of them looked up when Kagome and Midori walked into the room.

"Kagome, you're back-WHOA!" The little boy had begun greeting his sister before his eyes trailed to Midori, apparently caught by surprise at the sight of her markings and tails. Midori just smiled sheepishly and gave him a little wave.

"I'm only back for a little while, Sota, and I brought a friend with me." Kagome sat down at the table and poured two cups of tea as Sota and her grandfather walked over to inspect Midori.

"Uhm.. Pleased to meet you. My name is Midori Miyamori." Midori studdered slightly as she bowed politely. When she stood upright, Sota's eyes were wide with curiousity, his gaze following her tails as they swished slightly.

"Demon, begone!" The old man shouted and Midori felt something slap onto her forehead, partially obscuring her vision. Midori reached up and peeled off the little slip of paper with a poorly written ofuda painted across it.

"Uhm.. I'm sorry, sir. Your ofuda doesn't work." Midori smiled at the man politely, ignoring the pang of annoyance as she offered the sutra to him. "You didn't write out the spell correctly. Would you like me to show you how?"

"Eh?" The old main cried, snatching away the ofuda and taking a few steps back, glaring down at it in shock. Kagome and Sota tried their best to hide their laughter, but Midori could see their shoulders trembling from their giggles.

"Come sit down, Midori-chan." Kagome grinned, her giggles finally dying down. "I poured you a cup of tea."

"Oh, tea sounds so great right now!" Midori sighed and sat down at the table next to Kagome. Sota and Kagome's grandfather sat down as well, and an awkward silence filled the room as Midori sipped the tea Kagome gave her.

"Are those real?" Sota asked nervously after a while, still staring at Midori's snowy white tails.

"Yeah, they're real." Midori grinned at the young boy, who looked like he'd just found the coolest thing in the world. "You can touch em if you want."

It only took a few seconds before Sota had forgotten his homework and sat down next to Midori, running his fingers through the soft fur of her tails. Kagome giggled and shook her head as she watched her little brother pet Midori's tails like they were a new puppy. Kagome's grandfather's face had been growing increasingly sour untill after a few moments, finally, he slammed down his cup and stood, leaving the room.

"I didn't upset him, did I?" Midori asked, looking at Kagome, but before Kagome could answer, her grandfather appeared in the doorway, carrying with him an old fashioned calligraphy set. Midori was stunned for a few minutes, watching the man sit and place an inkwell and brush in front of her, followed by a few thin slips of paper.

"Show me." He grumbled simply, pouting like a child and Midori just smiled and nodded understandingly. Midori picked up the brush and quickly wrote out a proper ofuda, careful not to touch the little slip of paper now that she was a full demon.

"How do we know it'll work?" Sota asked, pausing his petting assault on Midori's tails just long enough to see what she was doing.

"Oh, hang on. I think I may know." Midori reached back and quickly pulled a few strands of fur from her tails, giving a slight yelp. She then turned back and held a single strand over the slip of paper, everyone crowding around and looking closely as she dropped the single strand. There was a brief flash, and the single strand of fur was gone, leaving only a faint puff of pure white smoke.

"It worked!" Kagome's grandfather looked completely shocked, looking up at Midori with wide eyes. "But you're a demon, aren't you? How would you know how to make a sutra that works so well?"

"Well, I was raised in a shrine, actually.." Midori smiled nervously, scratching the back of her head. "My Aneue trained me.."

"Wow! That's so cool!" Sota cried, grinning at Midori with a goofy look. "What's your sister like?"

"Sota!" Nodoka's chiding voice came from the kitchen. "Leave your sister's friend alone untill you finish your homework!"

"But Mom!" Sota whined back, pouting. "She's so cool! And her tails are super soft!"

"Really?" Nodoka poked her head around the door, looking genuinely interested, and Kagome made a spluttering noise as she almost choked on her tea. Midori couldn't help but giggle as Nodoka walked in, sat down next to Sota, and began to timidly stroke Midori's tails as well. "You're right! They really are soft!"

"_Now announcing the new location of Kyoto's finest Summer Festival! Come to Miyamori Shrine, and enjoy all the luxuries and tradition that Kyoto has to offer!_" A woman's voice on the television made Midori pause, her tails instantly jerking away from Sota and Nodoka as she looked at the television, her eyes wide. Her sister was there on the screen, smiling happily with two infants in her arms.

"Aneue...?" Midori's voice was weak and fragile as she stared at the television, the world around her completely forgotten as the television ran through a slideshow of photographs taken at Miyamori Shrine.

"Midori-chan?" Kagome's voice reached Midori's ears and Midori turned to look at her friend, Kagome looked concerned.

"Kagome-chan.." Midori's voice trembled slightly as she pointed to the television, her hand shaking as the news reporter interviewed her sister about the upcoming festival. Her sister's face showed on the screen, happy and smiling. Tears began to well up around Midori's eyes as she spoke. "That's my sister.. I've never seen her look so happy.. I've been missing for three weeks, and she looks.. so happy.."

* * *

><p>The television had been shut off, and Midori had been led up to Kagome's bedroom as she fought the overwhelming urge to cry. Midori had seen her sister Anju on television, along with her two newborn nieces. Midori had been unable to recall a moment in all her life where Anju had looked so happy, and Midori could only think it was because that she hadn't seen her sister in weeks. Midori sighed, holding her head in her hands as she sat on the edge of Kagome's bed, trying to push away the image of her sister.<p>

"Midori-chan? Are you alright?" Kagome walked into the room with a tray of fresh tea and cookies, kneeling down and setting the tray on a low table in the center of the brightly colored room.

"Yeah, I think I'm alright now." Midori sniffled, rubbing her eyes with the palm of her hands. She ran her fingers through her long black hair, carefully pushing it away from her face as she sat down at the low table next to Kagome.

"Midori, that woman on the TV.." Kagome began, her voice filled with concern. "You said she was you're sister?"

"Hn. Yeah. Anju-Aneue." Midori sighed, picking up one of the small cookies and nibbling on it halfheartedly. "She's the head of the Miyamori family. She runs the Shrine with an iron fist, and even owns a few shops in Kyoto that market to tourists."

"She sounds like a very powerful woman." Kagome mused, pouring herself some tea. "Do you miss her?"

"I guess I do.." Midori answered after a brief pause. "I didn't really speak with her much outside of formal meetings, but still.. she's my sister.."

"Would you like to call her?" Kagome asked simply.

"Yeah.. But not from here. I'd rather use a public phone or something." Midori sighed softly, taking a sip of the tea that had been placed before her. "It would only cause your family problems if I called from your phone."

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked, looking slightly confused.

"Well, I wasn't allowed to leave the shrine, remember?" Midori explained, "If my sister finds out that I not only came back from the past, but I'm also in Tokyo.. She'd have me brought straight back to the shrine before I could even say goodbye to anyone.."

"Is she really that strict?" Kagome asked, blinking, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"You have no idea.."

* * *

><p>"Midori-chan? Are you ready to go?" Kagome called up the stairs.<p>

Midori and Kagome had gathered the supplies they needed to take back with them through the well, and waited untill sunset. Kagome was waiting at the bottom of the stairs while Midori had tried to make herself look more human. Kagome's mother, Nodoka, stood next to Kagome and Sota occasionally peeked around the corner, waiting for Midori.

"I don't know if this is going to work, Kagome.." Midori's voice came from the top of the stairs.

"Just come downstairs already." Kagome sighed.

"Argh!" Midori grumbled softly as she walked down the steps nervously, watching as Kagome's, Nodoka's, and even Sota's eyes went wide when they saw her. Midori had shapeshifted into Kagome, and was now a complete clone of her friend, school uniform and yellow backpack included. A shy blush quickly spread across her cheeks as she stopped on the bottom step. "Don't laugh when I tell you this, but I've never worn a skirt this short before.. Or a school uniform in general.."

"But.. I thought you couldn't completely transform.." Kagome stammered, circling around Midori. "Where are your tails?"

"Eheheh.. yeah, I kinda stuffed them into the backpack." Midori admitted sheepishly.

"Alright, well we should get going. There's a payphone just down the street, and I'm betting Inuyasha will come looking for us soon." Kagome said, walking to the door.

Midori followed Kagome, and soon they had left her family's shrine, walking down the steep stone steps to the busy street. A few people stopped and looked, seeing the two identical girls walking side by side, but they continued on their way quickly enough.

"Why is everyone looking at us?" Kagome asked, suddenly looking self-conscious.

"They think we're twins, Kagome. Just relax." Midori sighed, ignoring the glances as they turned a corner and walked down a quiet side street.

"There's the payphone." Kagome pointed to the corner ahead of them and the two girls quickened their pace, heading for the colorfully labelled booth.

"Crap. There's someone using it already." Midori sighed, slowing slightly.

"Oh no..."

"What? What's wrong?" Midori turned to see that Kagome had stopped in her tracks, looking at the phone booth as a young man stepped out. He had a slim build, with messy brown hair and brown eyes, and he turned and waved at Kagome with a friendly smile, untill he saw Midori standing a few steps away.

"Uh.. Kagome?" The young man asked, looking between Midori and Kagome, a look of shock clear on his face. "Am I halucinating?"

"Hi Hojo!" Kagome stepped forward with an awkward smile. Midori thought quickly.

"Hey there, Hojo!" Midori acted quickly, walking up to the boy with a kind smile. "You actually are halucinating. You've been working really hard lately, so you should probably go and get some rest."

"Oh, yeah.. I suppose you're right. I've been really busy with school lately, so I guess I am a little tired." Hojo looked a little surprised, but he smiled nonetheless, nodding in agreement. Kagome was dumfounded. "I'll head straight home and get some sleep. Thanks for your advice!"

"You're welcome!" Midori and Kagome said in unison, much to their surprise, and Hojo hestitated for a moment to steal another glance at the two identical girls before he waved, turning and jogging down the street and around a corner.

"Oh my god, I didn't think that would actually work." Midori let out a relieved sigh and slumped over a little, pressing her hand to her forehead as she walked slowly over to the phone booth.

"Yeah, I'm a little surprised too, actually." Kagome admitted, looking slightly impressed. "How'd you come up with that so fast?"

"Oh, I saw something similar in a movie once." Midori admitted, sliding open the door of the booth as Kagome walked closer. Midori slipped into the booth and Kagome stood in the doorway so she could listen in on the phone call as Midori stuffed the coins into the phone, dialing her sister's cell. "Okay, it's ringing."

Midori could feel butterflies flutter around in her stomach with every ring, growing increasingly worried as thoughts of her sister's anger came to her mind. She had to resist the urge to hang up, but feeling Kagome's presence so close by seemed to give her strength. Midori just about jumped from her skin when the line clicked, and she heard her sister cursing under her breath on the other end of the line.

_"Hello?"_ It was Anju, and she already sounded annoyed.

"Aneue..?" Midori's voice shook slightly, but she didn't hang up. "Aneue, it's me.."

"_Eh?_ _You'll have to speak louder! I have two screaming babies in the next room!"_

"Aneue!" Midori spoke a little louder, and her breath hitched in her throat.

"_Midori?_" Anju sounded shocked for a moment, but then her tone changed to anger.

"_Midori, where the hell have you been? You were supposed to come right back!_"

"Aneue, I'm sorry! Something happened..!" But Midori was cut off quickly, Anju's sharp voice causing distortion over the phone line.

"_How are you even calling me right now? Where are you? Nevermind, I'm writing the phone number down! Do not move from that spot! I'll have someone pick you up within the hour, and you're going to come straight home!_"

"ANJU-NESAMA!" Midori shouted, trying desperately to get her sister's attention, Kagome had been able to hear the entire conversation without needing to press her ear to the reciever, and she looked shocked. "Please! Just listen to me!"

"_No! You listen to me! You're coming straight home, and you will stay in your room for a whole month! Do you hear me, you little monster? People aren't safe when they're around you!_"

Midori felt as if she had just been slapped in the face, and she gasped, physically recoiling from the verbal blow.

"_Try to understand, Midori._" Anju sneered over the phone. "_You're not human! It's safer for everyone if you just never leave the shrine, that way you could never hurt anyone! Besides, what could you possibly do in the outside world? Make friends? Get a boyfriend? What would they think if they found out what you were?_"

"Anju.." Midori's voice was faint and emotionless, and Kagome looked up just in time to see Midori transform to her demon appearance. "I know what I have to do now.."

"_What nonesense are you spouting now?_"

"I called you because I missed you.. I missed my family, my home.. At least that's what I thought. But now I realize I called you because I wanted to say goodbye." Kagome gasped as Midori spoke, watching her friend break apart at the seams. Midori's eyes were moist with countless unshed tears, and Kagome could see that she was trembling. "You never wanted me, Anju. You never even tried. And I think that's what hurts me the most.. Because I know, deep down, you're a good person. But you'll never understand something if you don't at least try."

"_Who would want to? You're a monster, and it's my job to keep you on a leash._"

"No, Anju. You're the monster. You just don't know it yet." Midori sighed softly, closing her eyes. "Goodbye, Aneue."

"_Midori! Don't you hang up on me, you little bit-!_" Midori hung up the reciever, cutting off Anju's last sentance.

"Kagome," Midori began, rubbing her eyes forcefully before she looked up, her expression serious. "We have to get out of here before my sister's lackeys show up."

"Alright, Midori. But you may want to shapeshift again. You kinda reverted back during that call.." Kagome placed a comforting hand on Midori's shoulder, watching as she gradually shapeshifted back into her twin.

The two identical girls left the phone booth and walked back up the street, turned the corner, brushed passed the travelling crowds, and silently made their way back up the stairs to the Higurashi shrine.

Without a word of parting, the girls walked across the grounds, into the well shrine, and jumped down into the well. Midori was greeted by that familiar blue light, and when her feet touched the ground, Midori felt the soft wetness of raindrops as it just started to rain. Without waiting, Midori grabbed Kagome and the two of them flew from the well, landing in the wet grass, Midori still transformed into Kagome's likeness.

"Ne.. Midori-chan?" Kagome began as Midori released Kagome and the two girls walked down the path to Kaede's village. Midori reverted back to her true form, her markings appearing and her ears and fangs lengthening as she gently tugged her snowy white tails from a hole in the bottom of Kagome's old backpack.

"What's up, Kagome?" Midori asked as they walked, the village now coming into sight as they reached the top of the hill.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but..." Kagome looked like she was trying not to smile, and Midori noticed, looking at Kagome curiously. "But your sister is a total witch."

"Chyah!" Midori chuckled weakly, shaking her head with a faint smile. "I think that's the understatement of the century, don't you?"

"Do you think she'll really send someone to Tokyo to find you?" Kagome asked, looking suddenly serious as they watched Inuyasha and Shippo walk out of Kagome's hut.

"Yeah. I probably won't be able to go back to the modern era for a while. I doubt they'll be able to track me back to your house, so your family should be safe.." Midori sighed, raising her arms up over her head as the rain started to pick up. "I just hope they don't send anyone here, to this era.. That would create too many problems."

"Yeah.. Your sister may be mean, but she didn't seem stupid.. If you got back to the modern era without using the shrine in Kyoto, she would be able to deduce that there was another way to and from this era." Now it was Kagome's turn to sigh, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry I got you into this mess, Kagome." Midori said quietly as Inuyasha and Shippo started walking towards them. "I should never have called my sister.."

Midori and Kagome met up with Inuyasha and Shippo, the four of them walking back into Kaede's hut as rain started to pour down on the little village relentlessly. Thunder rolled through the clouds overhead, and lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the world for a fraction of a second. Midori had been too deep in thought to notice a new scent, or the shadowy figure that hid itself in the forest as she and Kagome had passed.


	7. The Rescue

Midori left Kaede's hut in the early morning, feeling restless and uncomfortable for some reason. She sighed and smoothed out the pure white kimono she had reluctantly worn as she walked out of the village and up to the training grounds. She didn't really feel like training, for once. Instead, she wanted to collect her thoughts and see if she could get any new leads on some jewel shards for Kagome. Hunting down jewel shards may help to clear her head, and she was well aware of how anxious Inuyasha had gotten, especially since she and Kagome had disappeared without a word yesterday.

She winced slightly, remembering the lecture that Inuyasha had given her and Kagome when they got into Kaede's hut last night, and she wasn't exactly looking forward to it happening again. She walked up the hill and through the forest a short ways untill she came to the forest clearing where she and Inuyasha usually sparred. The sky was still thick with heavy grey clouds that threatened rain, but for now it seemed safe. Midori hopped up onto the large cluster of boulders in the clearing and stopped, pushing her thoughts away as she sniffed the air and listened to all of her senses.

She stood still, taking in the scents and sounds for a while untill some familiar scents reached her nose. They were faint, mostly washed away by last night's rainstorm, but they was there nonetheless. The first was the smokey, earthen sandalwood scent of Sesshoumaru, as well as the sour, metallic scent of blood. Midori's eyes flew open and she studied her surroundings more closely. There was no one in the forest, but now that Midori was paying attention, other scents mixed together and the realization startled her. Demons.

Quickly, Midori jumped down from the rocks and used her new demonic strength to her advantage, pushing off from the ground into a soaring jump that propelled her forward at least forty feet with each stride. She glided through tree branches, dodging wet leaves and foliage as they slapped against her skin when she crashed through them. After a few minutes of running and jumping at a furious pace, the scent of blood became so strong, Midori fought the urge to gag. She stopped and scanned her surroundings quickly before she jumped out of the trees and landed in the heart of the forest, high up in the rolling hills that surrounded Kaede's village.

Looking around, she could see signs of a battle, although the word battle didn't really apply. It looked more like a massacre. There, the mangled corpses of demons were strewn about the forest floor, looking somehow broken like a child's forgotten toy. They were covered in garish claw marks and some of them had been split into pieces. Midori carefully walked through them, vaguely annoyed that she hadn't worn her geta when she left Kaede's hut as she dodged pools of blood and other bodily goop.

"Sesshoumaru?" Midori called out as she looked around, Sesshoumaru's scent getting closer as she hopped over corpses, the smell of death threatening to overwhelm her. She could only slightly hear a faint growling coming from the trees ahead of her and she hesitantly left the field of corpses, making her way towards the sound.

"I know you're out here, Sesshoumaru." Midori sighed, peering around trees untill she finally came to the right one. It was somehow so like him to growl at someone who was just curious about his welfare. "You don't have to... growl.."

Midori trailed off, forgetting her words when her eyes widened in shock. Sesshoumaru was slumped over, leaning against the base of a huge tree, his head lolling to one side weakly. He was almost completely covered in blood, his kimono slashed and torn in some places, revealing ghastly pale skin.

"Oh, Sesshoumaru!" Midori cried, rushing towards him and kneeling down beside him as her healing nature took over before she could think. Gently, she placed her hands on his shoulders and propped him up against the tree at his back and laid his head back against the bark. His eyes were barely open as he looked at her, disoriented, too weak to fight back. Midori took a deep breath as she looked him over, her touch timid and gentle as if she were afraid she would break him.

"Alright.. Don't worry, Sesshoumaru, I'll heal you as best I can." Midori assured the injured daiyoukai as she pulled back the sleeves of her kimono, no longer worrying about the stains of blood she had aquired. She held her hands over the most serious of Sesshoumaru's wounds and forced her energy to obey, sending out as much of her healing powers as she could. A bright green glow appeared in the palms of her hands and Midori watched as Sesshoumaru's skin began to slowly knit itself back together before her eyes.

She kept it up, somehow, even though healing him like this was almost painful, her own energy draining away quickly. She slowly seperated her hands, moving on to the next wound, and then the next, untill only the most minor were left. Sitting back, she sighed softly and relaxed, wiping away the cold sweat from her brow as she tried to recover from using so much of her energy at once. She looked back at her work and nodded with approval. His color was slowly coming back, and his eyes had closed as he fell into a deep sleep to recover his energy.

Thunder began to rumble overhead, and the scent of fresh rain wafted to Midori's nose. Slowly standing, Midori walked to a tree branch nearby and plucked off a few healthy looking leaves. She returned to Sesshoumaru's side and knelt down, using the last of her energy on the leaves, causing them to grow quickly, untill they were both the size of an umbrella. Midori held one over herself, and the larger one over Sesshoumaru and within a few minutes it started to pour.

"Not a moment too soon, huh?" Midori said wryly, even though she knew Sesshoumaru was fast asleep. Sighing, Midori leaned back against the tree as she sat next to Sesshoumaru, steadily holding the huge leaf over his head to protect him from the rain even as she closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax. She wrapped her tails around herself for warmth and listened closely for any signs of impending danger.

* * *

><p>"Woman." A slightly annoyed voice roused Midori from sleep. "Wake up."<p>

"Hnn..?" Midori mumbled stupidly and rubbed her eyes before opening them. She was still sitting at the base of the tree in the forest, her tails wrapped around her haphazardly as she leaned up against the tree trunk. "Sesshoumaru?"

Midori looked up to see Sesshoumaru standing over her, looking down at her as if she had offended him greatly. Sunlight filtered through the trees and cast a radiant glow throughout the forest, Sesshoumaru's silver hair sparkling and swaying slightly in the cool breeze. Midori couldn't help herself. She smiled.

"How are you feeling?" Midori asked, and Sesshoumaru looked at her, noticing her sleepy smile as she slowly stood, her limbs cold and stiff from sleeping on the ground. She ran her fingers through her hair a few times, letting the inky black tresses fall around her shoulders as she swayed slightly on her unsteady legs.

"I found you out here this morning. You looked like you were in pretty bad shape, so I healed you as best I could. I must have fallen asleep afterwards. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable." Midori apologized sheepishly and bowed her head, still smiling. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed slightly. She had healed him? Healing abilities were rare among demons, and if she had fallen asleep after healing him, she must have used up all of her energy to heal his wounds.

"Why?" Sesshoumaru asked simply, his tone flat and emotionless. Sesshoumaru had woken in the middle of the forest, cold and sore, next to a woman he could barely recognize. In his sleep-addled state, he had very nearly ripped out her throat, thinking she was an enemy untill he looked at her more closely and the scent of his brother and his companions reached his nose, forcing him to remember. This was the woman that he had met outside of Totosai's cave, when she appeared to be human. This woman was the last surviving member of the Tamamo clan.

"Hnn..?" Midori asked as she stretched luxuriously, her kimono smoothing itself and her tails fluffing out behind her when she relaxed. She looked up at him with a thoughtful expression, looking at him like she was about to say something profound. "Well, I suppose it's because I wanted to."

"Hn." Sesshoumaru said, looking away coldly. Midori didn't seem to mind, however. Instead, she looked around for a moment, seemingly enjoying the sunlight streaming through the forest, and the fragrent spring breeze that tugged at her hair gently, her snowy white tails swaying contently before she looked up at him again, her sudden seriousness almost surprising him.

"Oh, are you sure you're alright now? If you're still hurting somewhere, all you have to do is tell me where and I'll heal you straight away." Midori asked, looking concerned. Sesshoumaru's brows rose slightly, but it was only for a fraction of a second. If she was offering to heal him again, she must have regained her energy already. It must have been only a few hours since she had healed him. How had she regained her energy so quickly?

"I'm fine." Sesshoumaru said, turning away from Midori and looking in a different direction. A familiar scent was coming closer. "Your friends are looking for you, Tamamo no Midori."

"Hm?" Midori took a few steps toward a tree and jumped up into it's branches, sniffing the breeze casually. "Oh, you're right. Inuyasha is coming this way."

Midori finished speaking and turned back just in time to see Sesshoumaru turn and disappear into the forest without even a farewell. Sighing, she sat down on the branch for a moment, wondering why Sesshoumaru was always so cold. Midori nodded to herself, coming to a decision. From now on, when she saw Sesshoumaru, she would go a little bit out of her way to be nicer to him. She smiled and slid off of the branch, turning and walking through the forest in Inuyasha's direction.

* * *

><p>"Midorii-sama?" Miroku's voice reached Midori's ears as she walked into Kaede's hut. No sooner had she set one foot over the threshold, she had been surrounded by Miroku, Sango, and Shippo, who were all looking over her bloody kimono worriedly. "Are you alright? You're covered in blood!"<p>

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Midori smiled as she sat down next to the fire calmly. "I just ran into someone, that's all. He was wounded, so I stopped to heal him and I must have lost track of time."

"Hnph." Inuyasha walked into the hut with his trademark scowl, his arms crossed over his chest as he sat down on the other side of the fire. "You should have just left him. Maybe he would have died from his wounds if we were lucky."

Miroku, Sango and Shippo were now looking between Midori and Inuyasha, looking thoroughly confused. Midori just sighed and shook her head, rubbing away the dried blood from her hands with a rag.

"That's a terrible thing to say about your brother." Midori lectured, not looking at Inuyasha. "No matter what happened in the past, you're still family."

"You mean Sesshoumaru was injured?" Shippo asked, his eyes wide, but he was ignored.

"Yeah, that's rich, given your relationship with your sister." Inuyasha said before he could think. Midori froze, still holding the dirty rag to her hand and instantly Inuyasha regretted his words. "Midori..! I-I'm sorry.."

"It's alright, Inuyasha." Midori smiled, but something about her smile seemed fake. She set the cloth aside and stood, walking over to her things. "It's alright, because it's true. I shouldn't preach to you about family when I don't even really know what having a family is like."

Silence descended upon the room as Midori gathered up a clean kimono and quickly walked out the door, mumbling something about bathing and then the training grounds. A few seconds passed and Inuyasha turned to see Miroku, Sango and Shippo glaring daggers at him. He sighed, slouching over with a look of defeat.

"Alright, I'll go talk to her.." Inuyasha grumbled, standing and glaring right back at his three friends. "But you're all coming with me!"

The four of them left Kaede's hut and left the village, Sango steering the men away from the lake where they knew Midori was bathing, much to Miroku's apparent dismay, and led them over to the training grounds where Midori had said she was going next. They sat down in the clearing and waited. They talked amongst themselves for a while but Inuyasha was uncharacteristicly silent as he carefully watched the treeline.

After a while, Midori walked into the clearing, her long black hair slung over her shoulder as she tugged it into a braid, her tails abnormally fluffy as they swished around faster than normal. Inuyasha paled, and he didn't dare move from his spot, watching her warily as she drew her sword and brushed passed him like he wasn't even there. Inuyasha and the others couldn't believe what they were seeing! Midori was angry!

They watched as Midori stopped in the center of the field, her back to them, lowering into her battle stance as she practiced her forms. They had never seen Midori in actual battle, so they were slightly surprised when Midori, usually tense and rigid while training, was suddenly smoother, faster, her posture positively lethal. She seemed to exude an aura of pure ice as they watched uncomfortably.

"Hey, Midori!" Inuyasha whined, watching her warily. "Are you still angry or somethin'?"

Midori didn't have to answer. She paused for a moment, channeling her energy and her anger into her blade, causing it to hum softly and glow green, pale green fox fire erupting from the blade. Then, in a single stroke, she swung the sword up and brought it down. A wave of green light and fire shot from her blade, barreling towards the cluster of boulders on the far side of the field, completely destroying them. Inuyasha paled and shrunk back a little, almost fearing for his life.

"Midoriiiiiii!" Kagome's cried cheerfully as she jogged into the clearing. She was lugging around her backpack, which looked like it was stuffed full well past it's means, and waving around a brightly colored package with a smile that rivaled the sun. "I brought you something!"

"Eh?" Midori relaxed and sheathed her sword, turning to look at Kagome. And then she froze, a stupid looking grin coming to her face as she ran to meet Kagome. "You brought me pockyyyy!"

The two girls ran to each other and met half-way, fawning over what Kagome had brought back from the modern era and giggling like children as Midori promptly opened the package of sweets and popped one into her mouth.

"Wow.." Sango said, blinking as she watched Midori and Kagome talk.

"I think I'll have to remember that, for the next time she gets angry." Miroku chuckled, looking at Inuyasha's stunned and confused expression. "It's such a simple solution!"

"Hm.. I wonder.." Shippo mused, reaching into the pocket of his vest and retrieving a brightly wrapped piece of candy that he'd been saving. He walked over to Inuyasha and held it up to him with a playful grin. "Here, Inuyasha! You should go give this to Midori so she won't be mad at you!"

"Eh? There's no way I'm going over there!" Inuyasha cried, looking down at Shippo like he was insane. Miroku and Sango quickly hid their laughter as they saw Midori and Kagome turn, eyebrows raised. "That woman is completely scary when she's angry!"

"Well, fine then! I'll go give it to her myself!" Shippo stuck out his tongue at Inuyasha and pranced over to Midori, jumping into her arms and handing her the little piece of candy. "Here, Midori! I thought this might cheer you up."

"Aw, well that's very thoughtful of you, Shippo." Midori smiled to the little fox kit lovingly, patting his head. Shippo turned and cast Inuyasha a sly smile as he cuddled up against Midori's chest.

"I never knew that Shippo could be so devious.." Miroku said, silently wondering if he could get away with that, glancing over at Sango.

"Don't even try it, ero-monk." Sango said shortly when she saw his gaze.

"Eh? Midori, why would you need to be cheered up?" Kagome asked, looking concerned. "Did something happen while I was away?"

"Oh no, it's nothing Kagome, don't worry." Midori smiled before she glanced at Inuyasha, who gulped and inched away slightly. Kagome noticed Inuyasha's reaction and just sighed, not even wanting to get involved this time.

"Chyaahhhh!" Inuyasha growled in frustration, standing up a little too forcefully and marching over to Midori and Kagome. "That's it! We've been here for too long! Tomorrow, we're going back out to look for more jewel shards!"

"Well, when you ask so nicely.." Midori said coolly, still mostly ignoring Inuyasha as he threw his temper tantrum. But she understood, and didn't argue. Instead, popped another piece of pocky into her mouth and smiled down at Shippo, who was eyeing the box of pocky. "Hey Shippo, I have an idea."

"Huh? What's that, Midori?" He asked, tearing his gaze away from the candy to look up at her.

"How about you and I spar for a little while?" Midori suggested, "It might be a good idea if you got a little more battle experience. I'll go easy on you, and if you do well I'll let you have some of my pocky."

"Really?" Shippo beamed, nodding enthusiastically. He jumped from Midori's arms and skipped into the center of the clearing eagerly. "Come on, Midori!"

"He's just doing this for the candy." Kagome giggled as she walked over to Miroku and Sango, setting her heavy backpack down and sitting near them to watch. Both Miroku and Sango nodded in unison.

Inuyasha eventually sat down as well, sulking, and the group watched as Shippo trained with Midori. Midori seemed to be in a better mood, and she really did go easy on Shippo, even letting him land a few decent blows with relative grace or stopping in the middle of the match to correct him on his stances. Everyone seemed surprised with how fast Shippo was learning, and every so often Kagome would jump up and cheer for him, which caused Sango and Miroku to shake their heads and laugh at her enthusiasm.

By the time they had finished and returned to Kaede's hut for the night, the sun had sunk low on the horizon, and Shippo was sleeping peacefully in Midori's arms with a stick of pocky hanging out of his mouth. Midori tucked him into his futon lovingly, and she, Kagome, Sango, Miroku and Inuyasha sat down and ate dinner before they, too retired for the evening.

* * *

><p>Midori and the others had woken early that morning, before the sun rose. They ate their breakfasts quickly, paid their respects to Kaede, packed their things and then departed. Kaede saw them off with a smile and a wave, and Midori couldn't help but be greatful to the woman that had shared her home when Midori had nowhere else to go. She had to remember to repay Kaede's kindness someday.<p>

The group walked untill well into the afternoon before they stopped at a stream to refill their water bottles. So far, they had completely struck out when it came to finding any jewel shards, however they did happen to save a travelling merchant's daughter from the hands of a letcherous monk. Miroku was still nursing the large lump that Sango had left on his head.

"I think he's actually starting to enjoy getting beat up by Sango." Midori mused, bending over and dunking a plastic bottle into the stream. Kagome and Shippo stood nearby, refilling their own water bottles.

"I think you're right." Kagome sighed, shaking her head as she packed up all of the water bottles into her backpack, leaving out a few for individual use.

"Why would someone like getting beat up?" Shippo asked, clearly not understanding.

"The world may never know, dear." Midori chuckled and shook her head, standing up on the bank and stretching luxuriously in the afternoon sunlight.

"Hey Kagome, Midori!" Inuyasha shouted from the path nearby, looking annoyed as usual. "Do either of you sense anything yet?"

"Well, I'm not sensing any jewel shards, but I noticed something else that seemed odd." Midori answered as she, Kagome and Shippo walked back over to the path. "The wind from the North smells funny."

"What do you mean, funny?" Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, looking north.

"Well, it smells like saimyosho.." Midori frowned, folding her arms over her chest as everyone stiffened slightly. "But at the same time, it doesn't. I don't know.."

"Come to think of it, Midori hasn't been with us when we've encountered Naraku, has she?" Miroku asked, looking to the north like Inuyasha. "Do you think that's what she could be picking up?"

"It's possible, I suppose." Sango replied, looking nervous. "I suggest we head north, just to check things out. Besides, we haven't gone that far north in our search for jewel shards, so maybe we'll get lucky."

"Alright. We'll head north." Inuyasha said with finality. Everyone understood and they began travelling north.

"Ahh.." Midori sighed ruefully, covering her nose with the sleeve of her kimono dramatically, her tails swishing gently as she walked. "And here I was hoping we could walk _away_ from the terrible smell."

They walked north for what felt like hours, trudging through the tall, dry grasses and the occasional forest as the scenery around them gradually changed into rough, rocky terrain. The soil here was very poor, little more than brown dust that seemed to scatter into a dust cloud at the slightest breeze.

The group walked on, trading grassy plains for rocky cliffs. Midori would occasionally stop and sniff the air, memorizing the scents around her out of simple curiosity as well as check for jewel shards. Inuyasha seemed to be more on edge since they started walking the mountain paths, keeping a watchful eye as he scanned the surroundings, even looking up and down along the sheer cliff faces, which Midori thought was amusing.

"We're in Wolf territory." Inuyasha grumbled, coming to a stop near a rickety looking rope bridge that crossed over a rather deep ravine. Midori stopped a short distance away and sniffed the air.

"Oh, you're right." Midori mused. She could smell mountain wolves and oddly, a thriving forest nearby. Then she paled slightly. "Guys.. Something's not right. That scent we've been tracking? It's mixing in with the scent of wolves, along with another scent. Blood.."

"Are you sure?" Kagome asked, looking worried.

"Yeah. Didn't you say Koga's tribe was around here?" Midori asked, looking at Kagome, her eyes serious all of a sudden.

"Yeah, it isn't that far away. Just across this ravine and down the mountain a little ways." Kagome answered, pointing further north, directly where the scents were blending together. Kagome seemed to pause for a moment before her eyes widened slightly, a new thought coming to her. "We have to go check on Koga!"

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelped like he'd just been kicked. "He's probably fine!"

"No, I don't think so, Inuyasha.." Midori said, frowning as a gust of dusty wind rushed around them. "I agree with Kagome. Especially since he still has those jewel shards."

"Can you sense Koga's shards, Midori? Kagome?" Miroku asked, his expression surprisingly solemn.

"No, I haven't sensed any jewel shards yet." Kagome answered.

"There's too many other scents mucking up the air. The smell of blood is overpowering, and with everything is dulled because of all this dust in the air." Midori sighed, shaking her head. "I say we go take a look."

"Better safe than sorry." Sango nodded in agreement. Kirara seemed to agree as well, as she jumped off of Sango's shoulder and transformed, padding over to Sango and Miroku.

"Alright, fine." Inuyasha grumbled, clearly being out-voted. "Lets just go and get this over with then."

Kagome climbed up onto Inuyasha's back when he knelt down in front of her while Sango and Miroku slid onto Kirara. Midori sighed, almost feeling left out, but she brushed aside that feeling and moved on, the whole group crossing the ravine easily and swiftly scaling the mountain. Midori's stomach began to churn uneasily and she quickened her pace, rocketting passed Inuyasha and Kagome, even outrunning Sango and Miroku, who were flying on Kirara.

"Inuyasha! I can smell jewel shards now!" Midori bellowed over her shoulder as she ran ahead. Something was terribly wrong. Midori tore down the narrow path, sliding on the dust covered stone as she rounded sharp corners, narrowly avoiding falling to her death. Something was interfering with the natural wind flow up ahead. Midori didn't understand, but she somehow knew. Koga's scent had mixed in with everything else, and now Midori could smell his blood.

Rounding the last corner, Midori's sharp eyes captured every detail in a fraction of a second. Koga was down, laying in a field of bodies, both wolf and demon. A woman was hovering on a huge white feather, looking down at him, a fan covering the lower half of her face. She smelled _terrible_, like rot and death and poison all mixed together.

Midori acted quickly, diving headlong into the fray.

* * *

><p>"You bitch!" Koga growled, glaring up at the woman who hovered on a feather. "You murdered my pack!"<p>

"Oh, I'm sorry!" The woman said, faking sincerity. "Did I? Truth be told, I was aiming for you all along!"

"What do you want with me?" Koga tried to push himself up, but the wounds on his arms and legs were too deep, and Koga could feel his strength slipping away from him. "Poison, huh? Cheater."

"Well, I suppose I'll admit to that. Now, as much fun as this has been.." The woman raised her fan and readied another attack. Koga closed his eyes. "I'm afraid I'll have to take your jewel shards now."

"Yo, Koga-chan!" Koga's eyes flew open and he was temporarily blinded by masses of swirling white fur. It was Midori's voice! Midori had just appeared, standing between him and the wind witch, her sword drawn protectively as she grinned at him over her shoulder. She was gorgeous. "Think you can stand? We're about to have company."

"N-no.. I can barely move as it is." Koga admitted begrudgingly after recovering from the initial shock of her sudden appearance. She nodded.

"Who the hell are you?" The wind witch shrieked, glaring daggers at Midori. "How dare you interfere!"

"Sorry to interupt your little play date, lady." Midori turned her attention back to the wind witch, a feral growl pooling from her core, seemingly coursing through the air itself. "It's well passed Koga-chan's bedtime."

"Well, I suppose I should just collect what I came here for and head home!" When the witch had finished speaking, she brought her fan down in a great arc and the wind picked up, screaming and howling as it rushed towards Midori and Koga. "Fujin no Mai!"

"Hotaru Butokai!" Midori shouted, swinging her sword with all her might. Koga watched as little green lights flowed from Midori's blade, straight into the howling winds. Fireflies? No. The lights shot straight into the winds, exploding with such force that the winds were nullified, sending a thick green gas spewing through the air. "Koga, close your eyes!"

"W-what?" Koga's vision blurred, and he closed his eyes tightly. He felt a pair of small hands pull him up and he winced, pain coursing through his body, but he put up with it as he was pulled from the battlefield, his feet dragging in the dirt. He could hear Midori struggling to pull him along, and soon she set him down, leaning him against a hard surface.

"Okay, that should stall her long enough for Inuyasha and Kagome to get here." Midori sighed and Koga tried to open his eyes. He was met with a faint green light, coming from the palm of Midori's delicately clawed hand. Eventually, the blurring subsided and he could see again.

They were hidden behind a cluster of fallen rocks in the shadow of the mountain. Midori's hands slowly moved down Koga's body, the green glow intensifying periodically as his skin began to mend itself, warmth coursing through his body. Midori's hair covered her face somewhat, but Koga could plainly see her markings, her pointed ears stuck out from her hair, and her snowy white tails swishing behind her every so often.

"What are you doing here?" Koga asked, blinking up at the girl. She looked so frail and feminine right now. How is it that she had just saved his life?

"We were tracking a terrible scent while we looked for jewel shards, and eventually that terrible scent led us here. I'm thinking it was that wind witch back there." Midori replied simply, her hands hovering over Koga's wounds. She had been healing him and he didn't even notice untill now. Just who the hell was this woman?

"Thank you.. For saving me." Koga said after a brief pause, not looking at her as she moved away and peered behind a rock, looking back the way they came. The wind witch was still hovering over the corpses, coughing and spluttering and rubbing her eyes from within the green miasma.

"Don't thank me just yet, Koga-chan." Midori grinned over her shoulder playfully. "We're not out of the woods. Inuyasha and Kagome still haven't shown up, and I don't know anything about that witch out there. For all I know I could get my ass handed to me if I tried to solo her."

Koga just blinked at the frail, weak looking woman crouched in front of him, surprised by her colorful use of language. If he'd been a lesser man, he might have even blushed.

"KAGURA!" Midori's head jerked up when she heard Inuyasha bellowing, and a wicked grin graced her lips.

"Well, you just sit tight and get your strength back, Koga." Midori grinned as she drew her sword from it's sheath. "I'm going to go play with the nice lady in your stead."

Koga had no idea what to say as he watched her go, creeping stealthily out from behind the huge rocks, her tails fluttering like an anxious pup's as she returned to the battlefield.


	8. Emergency

Inuyasha ran as fast as his legs could carry him, Kagome clinging to his shoulders as she rode on his back while he practically flew down the side of the mountain. Midori had run ahead, shouting something about jewel shards, and that's when Kagura's scent had reached his nose. But she had been too far ahead to hear his yell of warning. She disappeared around a corner without looking back.

Inuyasha rounded the last corner and skidded to a halt as they came to a wide open area, stone walls towering high above them. Kagura was hovering above dozens of corpses, wolves and demons, spluttering like she was drunk as she tried to wave away a cloud of green miasma. Midori's miasma. But Midori was nowhere to be seen, nor Koga. Kagura was the only living being on the battlefield.

"KAGURA!" Inuyasha bellowed, drawing his sword and snarling at the wind witch. His mind automatically snapped to the worst possible conclusion, and he feared that Midori and Koga might be dead. Inuyasha's blood began to boil and he couldn't see straight.

"Oh ho?" Kagura opened her fan and swung it once and the miasma cleared. "Well, look who's here. It's the half-breed and the miko. This must be my lucky day! I was just about to steal that wolf's shards, but now that you're here, I'll get yours too!"

"Dream on, Kagura!" Kagome glared, notching an arrow and pulling it back effortlessly as she aimed. Motion from behind Kagura caught Kagome's attention and she glanced back to see Midori creeping out from behind some rocks silently. She pointed wildly behind the rocks and mouthed the word "KOGA" before she moved to take her place on the battlefield.

"Inuyasha." Kagome said, glancing at him. He seemed to see Midori too, and nodded, dropping into a battle stance.

"What's this? You think just the two of you can take me on? Now _that's_ an amusing notion!" Kagura chuckled, her voice filled with malicious amusement. As she raised her fan, she began to feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end as the air behind her seemed to crackle with heat.

"Forgetting about someone?" Midori's sudden voice from behind caused Kagura to whirl around just in time to see a glowing, fiery blade come crashing down at her at a frightening speed. She gasped and blocked with her fan, looking up at the snarling girl with the mass of tails whipping around behind her.

"Now, Kagome!" Midori shouted, her eyes never leaving Kagura's as Kagome let her arrow fly, sailing straight at Kagura. Midori seemed to kick off against the air somehow and jumped away just as the arrow was about to strike.

"Damn! She was a distraction!" Kagura cursed, and she snapped open her fan, waving it at the arrow. "Kaze Tuppu!"

A massive wall of wind formed between Kagura and the sacred arrow, slowing the projectile untill it was rendered useless, falling to the ground with a soft wooden click. Inuyasha charged into the battle, leaving Kagome's side, and just as he was about to swing his massive sword, he saw the evil smirk on Kagura's face. He couldn't react fast enough.

"Ryuja no Mai!" Kagura's voice echoed through the canyon and suddenly the wind began to howl and shriek like a dying beast, curling around itself at blinding speeds as it formed dozens of tornadoes, all fanning outwards towards Inuyasha and Kagome.

In that instant, Midori only heard one thing before she felt her heart clentch painfully. She looked at the massive wall of wind in horror as she heard Kagome's cry of pain, loud and shrill like the tornadoes that shielded her from Midori's view. The wind disapated slowly, and Midori's eyes widened when she saw a wounded Inuyasha, scrambling to Kagome's side. She was lying on the jagged rocks, her clothes torn and dirty, blood oozing slowly from various cuts scattered across her body.

She could see movement from the corner of her eye as Koga stood, looking at Kagome, his eyes wide and his face pale at the sight of her. Midori's ears failed her, her hearing replaced with the loud pumping of blood and a single heartbeat, her own heartbeat. She could still see everything. Kagura's shoulders shook with the force of her menacing laughter and she threw her head back with a triumphant cheer. Inuyasha had turned to Midori and he was shouting something at her, unshed tears barely hidden by his messy silver bangs. Midori's vision began to blur and her eyes began to burn.

"_No.._" A little voice inside her said faintly.

Koga turned to stare at Midori, a mixture of shock and horror apparent in his eyes. Thoughts flooded Midori's mind so fast she couldn't keep track of them all. Kagome couldn't die. Kagome had been blessed with a loving family. She had been blessed by friends who loved her. Kagome was the one who had invited Midori into her circle of happiness. Kagome was the one who had saved Midori from herself, showing her the way to finding her true path! Kagome... Kagome...! KAGOME!

"_No..!_" The voice repeated, louder now and gaining volume. "_I won't let you take her away from me! Not when I've finally found someone.. Someone I could call my SISTER!_"

Midori's world blurred completely as it was replaced by a deep, animalistic rage. A loud, feral, evil growl ripped from her throat as she locked eyes with her intended target. Kagura's eyes were wide with surprise, flickering with fear, and Midori felt a deep seated _need_ to see more fear on that woman's face.

Midori's entire body, her entire being, even her soul _burned_ with the need to hurt that woman. It was overwhelming, and Midori couldn't have controlled it if she wanted to. But she didn't want to, instead she let the unstoppable force caress her mind like a lover's touch, allowing it to possess her completely.

The beast within her woke, and Midori's world had been dyed red.

* * *

><p>Koga heard Kagome's scream and he shot upright, whirling around to see Kagome's still form, crashed up against the rocks, bruised and battered and unmoving. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He couldn't move, he couldn't think. Kagura was laughing and Inuyasha was shouting at Midori, who just stood there completely still, her eyes hidden by her hair. Why was she just standing there? He needed to get to Kagome! He would make sure she would be alright! He had to move! Dammit, MOVE!<p>

"_No.._" Koga heard a frail, weak voice beside him, and in that instant he felt a terrifying youki envelope him. He turned as the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, the air crackling as every instinct, every fiber in his being told him to flee.

Midori was standing there, still and motionless as a statue. Bright green youki enveloped her, swirling around her like a typhoon, tugging her hair this way and that as if she were standing in the midst of a storm. He saw her eyes, dark and terrifying as they changed from pure, clean jade to a dark blood red.

"_NO!"_ He heard her shout, but then a dark, evil growl forcefully tore from her throat, gaining in volume as she unconsciously took a single step towards Kagura, her eyes locked with the wind witch's own crimson eyes.

In a fraction of a second, Koga felt Midori let go, and she transformed. She was no longer the slender, weak-looking slip of a girl who had just been standing there. She had been replaced by a huge white fox, towering over Kagura, her nine snowy white tails tipped with black at the ends lashing out furiously, leaving gashes in the rock face behind her. Midori's markings had grown along with her body, and Koga could see the strange swirling red design on her face, shoulders, legs, chest and back. He could see a faint green mist flow from the fox's mouth every time it exhaled, and for the first time in his life, Koga felt true fear.

Midori's growling had risen to such a forceful volume that Kagura had to cover her ears, looking up at the snarling beast with pure fear as it's gnashing jaws were barely a foot away from her body. She had to get away! Screw the jewel shards, to hell with Naraku, she had to get away from this _monster!_

Just as Kagura had finished thinking those words, the beast's eyes narrowed dangerously and Kagura braced herself, her feather zipping away just as Midori's jaws snapped at the air where Kagura had just been. Kagura's feather shot into the sky and a blinding speed, but when Kagura looked back, the giant demon fox clawed at the air, jumping and thrashing as it ran towards her with an unrelenting rage. Kagura could feel the rage, pulsing from the beast as surely as she could feel the wind on her face as she tried to make her escape. She dove, she turned, she dropped, she spun, but no matter what she did, the beast kept up with her.

She climbed higher and higher and higher into the sky untill the air around her nearly froze her, and the beast charged straight up, it's speed suddenly increasing tenfold as it snatched her up in it's powerful jaws. Kagura heard bones snap like dry twigs, and she heard screaming from somewhere nearby. It didn't register with her at first and she denied it with every fiber of her being untill she realized that she was the one who's bones had been broken, and she was the one who was screaming.

The huge nine-tailed fox slowly floated back down, hovering in midair above the canyon as if to show off her new toy to Inuyasha and Koga. The fox's jaws tightened and relaxed as if she were chewing, her sharp teeth carving through Kagura's body over and over again before the beast shook it's head and sent Kagura flying hundreds of feet into the ravine, dropping down into darkness as she felt her body crash into freezing cold water.

Midori slowly landed inside the canyon again. Inuyasha and Koga knelt by Kagome, looking up at Midori in barely masked terror. Midori felt pure sadness grip her heart and slowly, she lowered her head as a sign of affection, hoping they would know that she was herself again. They didn't move. Midori looked down at Kagome, pale, battered and bloodied and she felt tears well up in her eyes. She was still breathing, but only barely.

Crouching down low, Midori nestled her nose right next to Kagome's body, whining softly. She took a deep breath, and then let her tears fall. Her heavy tears landed on Kagome's still form, soaking through her uniform and into her skin. Midori pulled away, sulking over to Koga's fallen comrades and doing the same with them, covering them all in her tears before she moved away slowly, standing back while those who still lived were healed.

Koga and Inuyasha watched with amazement as Kagome's wounds slowly healed in front of their eyes. She coughed weakly, took another breath and coughed again before her eyes fluttered open and she slowly sat up.

"Inuyasha? Koga?" She looked at the two men kneeling next to her, confusion clearly written on her face as she saw their unshed tears. "What happened? Oh, god! Where's Midori?"

Kagome heard movement nearby and she looked over just in time to see some of Koga's men sit up slowly and shake themselves off, looking around with stunned expressions. It was then that Kagome noticed a huge white form in the corner of her vision. She turned her head and gasped. There, standing a great distance away from them, was a giant white nine-tailed fox. It's eyes were so sad as they looked straight back at Kagome. Kagome could feel Inuyasha and Koga stand next to her, pulling her up to her feet as they both wrapped their arms around her, exhaling a huge sigh of relief.

"What are you guys doing?" Kagome struggled meekly, looking away from the fox. "Where's Midori?"

In that instant, there was a surge of wind and Kagome looked up to see the giant fox leaping into the sky, gaining altitude as it clawed at the air, disappearing into the now cloud-covered sky.

* * *

><p>Sango, Miroku and Shippo rode on Kirara, circling around aimlessly as they scanned the ground for any sign of Inuyasha, Kagome or Midori. They had lost sight of them hours ago, and then suddenly a burst of overbearing, menacing youki blanketted the whole area, sending chills down everyone's spine. It left just as mysteriously as it came, leaving the air pure and natural.<p>

"Where the heck are they?" Shippo whined, sounding worried as he craned his neck to look down at the ground.

"I'm not sure. I can't seem to sense anything now that the youki is gone.." Miroku sighed, one hand reaching up to rub his temple, his face knit into a scowl.

Just then, Kirara let out a loud grumbling sound and sharply turned, taking her three passengers by surprise. When she levelled out, they looked ahead and saw a monsterously huge white fox circle an area twice before gliding away. Kirara sped towards it, slowing when she came to the area the fox had been circling. Down below them, Miroku, Sango and Shippo could see Inuyasha, Kagome and Koga, as well as several confused looking wolf demons. Midori was nowhere to be seen.

"Sango, did you notice something odd about that fox?" Miroku asked, his tone oddly solemn.

"Other than the fact that it was circling this area, like it was signalling for us to come here?" Sango asked with a frown.

"It had nine tails, just like Midori-sama."

* * *

><p>Midori glided through the air, away from Koga's ravine as fast as she could, the wind ruffling her snow white fur as she ran away from the only family she had ever known. They had seen her true form, a form that was unknown, even to herself. She had shown them a side of herself that she didn't even know she had. A part of her heart that terrified even herself. She had let go of everything sanity told her to cling to, and she had savagely and brutally attacked Kagura right in front of Inuyasha and Koga before tossing the woman away like a broken toy.<p>

She had revived Kagome and Koga's men with her youki, and then stood there, waiting for their acceptance, silently begging for their welcome to come back into their circle. But they had all looked away. So Midori had left them, forsaking them before they could have inevitably forsaken her. Her heart was too fragile, and it felt as though it had broken into a thousand shards as it beat painfully within her chest. Midori sighed softly, closing her eyes and begging for the pain to go away, waiting to embrace the frozen flower that had helped her cope so many times before, but that familiar sensation of cold never came.

Midori looked around, looking down at the world below her as she passed over a few tiny villages. They villagers would look up at her and scream with terror as Midori flew overhead, passing them by as her depression sank further into her heart. Her sister had been right. No one would accept her. _She was a monster._

Midori continued to glide across the breeze, travelling farther and farther away from her pain untill the sun had long since set, casting darkness around her body as her depression cast darkness around her heart. Eventually, when all was silent around her, Midori let herself gently float back down to earth, softly landing in a deserted field of untouched beauty. There was a river nearby, and flowers grew in patches throughout the knee-high grass. Tall oak and maple trees swayed in the early summer breeze and Midori couldn't smell a single human for miles around.

"This will do nicely, for now." She thought, closing her eyes and willing herself back into her youkai form. Slowly, she felt her body shift and mold and shrink and when she opened her eyes again, she looked down and saw her hands below her.

Midori ignored her pangs of hunger, instead choosing to sit down beneath the tallest tree in the field and lean up against it's bark. The solid mass of the tree comforted her slightly, and she drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her tails around her as she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p>"WHAT?" Kagome's shrill voice broke the forest's late-night silence as she stared at Inuyasha and Koga with wide eyes. Miroku, Sango and Shippo were also stunned, listening while their companions told Kagome what had happened.<p>

"She went on a rampage, Kagome." Koga said, his features darkening slightly in the dim firelight. "She went after Kagura like she was rabid or something. I saw the whole thing. That girl practically _ate_ Kagura!"

"After that, she laid down next to you and sort of.. cried on you, and you woke up all better after that." Inuyasha said, his eyes locked on the small campfire before him, his features knit together into a worried frown. "She did the same thing to Koga's men before she just flew off."

"Did either of you _say_ anything to her?" Kagome asked, her tone dangerous.

"What do you mean, Kagome?" Koga asked, looking confused.

"I asked, did either of you _say anything_ to her? You didn't try to stop her? You just let her go?" Kagome was sitting upright now, trembling with barely hidden rage. "YOU IDIOTS!"

"Kagome, what the hell are you even talking about?" Inuyasha growled, not appreciating being called in idiot.

"Her family knows she's a demon, Inuyasha! They're humans! You, of all people, should know how that isolation feels!" Kagome was shouting now, glaring daggers and practically spitting fire. "_Midori's own flesh-and-blood sister wants her to die!_"

Kagome spoke those last words with so much venom behind her voice that both Inuyasha and Koga actually flinched. They had never seen Kagome so angry before, and they had absolutely no idea how to respond to it.

"Kagome-sama, if I may.." Miroku spoke up, almost squeaking when Kagome shot a glare at him. "I believe I may know which direction Midori-sama went, however I don't know if she stopped along the way."

"Which way?" Kagome asked, closing her eyes and softening her tone as she took a deep breath to steady herself.

"Towards Kyoto..."

* * *

><p>"<em>Ahh..<em>" Midori thought sleepily, a sad smile tugging at the corners of her lips. _"There's that old familiar frozen feeling._"

Midori sighed, enjoying what she knew would probably only be a brief respite from her pain-wracked heart. Slowly, she opened her eyes and waited for them to adjust. She was in a field somewhere, sitting under a tree, alone. Clouds covered the sky like a thick cotton blanket, and the wind was wild and free, causing the trees to dance and sway as Midori slowly got to her feet.

She couldn't feel anything. Her body was cold, and she probably would have felt sore from sleeping on the ground, but she didn't. Instead of waiting for the feeling to return to her body, Midori turned in a random direction and just started walking, her stride slow and unsteady. The air around her smelled familiar, just like that forest where she had first met Koga. Koga... Midori quickly shoved the thought away, feeling a familiar stab in her chest.

Midori must have been walking for hours, not speaking, not thinking, not feeling, just walking and taking in her surroundings. She ran across the occasional low level demon, but they seemed to notice her mood and quickly hid away from her before they could give her the pleasure of killing them. Soon, she stood at the base of a familiar mountain, her bare feet caked with dirt and her own blood as she began walking up the mountain. If she fell, she made no sound, only picked herself back up and started again. She hadn't eaten since yesterday morning, and her stomache growled at her in protest, causing the world to tilt and turn and spin around her untill she fell once again, landing on her back in the moist dirt and dead leaves.

She layed there motionless for a long while, looking up at the clouds through the leaves of the old trees that surrounded her, shielding her from view. She sighed softly, closing her eyes and waiting for the dizziness to pass. Her limbs felt terribly heavy, and she honestly didn't want to move at all, but somehow instinct told her she had to get to the top of this mountain. _She had to go home._

She heard the gentle rustling of steady footsteps coming closer to her and she felt her breath hitch in her throat. She let out an involuntary growl of warning, telling whoever had come near to promptly turn back, but to no avail. The footsteps came closer still and came to a stop by her side.

"Growling, huh?" A familiar voice said as the musky scent of sandalwood reached her nose. "What a pleasant greeting."

"Just let me die here, I beg of you." She croaked, her voice nothing more than a defeated whisper. She couldn't move anymore. The humiliation was just too much.

But her unwitting savior ignored her plea for death and she felt strong arms snake below her and then she felt herself lifting into the air gently as she was carried away somewhere. She let the sandalwood scent envelope her as her mind drifted carelessly, and soon she could feel herself floating farther upward, cradled in her savior's arms as the summer wind kissed her broken and battered body. They were flying.

"So," Her savior began, his voice sounding more serene and compassionate than she had ever expected. "How did you manage to leave that wolf's den yesterday, and end up outside Kyoto today? That's a two week journey on foot, even by some of the fastest youkai."

"I flew.." Midori sighed weakly, her mind clouded by weakness and hunger.

"How did you fly?" Her savior asked. Midori felt a gentle hand brush away the hair from her face.

"I turned into a fox.. and then everything just sort of.. happened." Midori didn't bother with hiding anything. At this moment, she didn't see the point.

"So that must mean that you are a daiyoukai as well." Her savior concluded. There was a subtle pause, as if he were lost in thought, and then he spoke again. "Your friends are worried about you."

Midori felt a stab of pain in her chest and she physically reacted, her entire body jerking from the force of the pain. She gasped, and the arms around her held her tighter untill her breathing returned to normal.

"I don't have any friends." Midori said, a single hot tear rolling down her cheek. "I have abandoned them, before they abandon me. It's better this way, because they found out what I truely am."

"And what is that?"

"_A monster._" Midori squeezed her eyes tightly closed when she said those words, wishing with her entire being that it wasn't true. She could feel more tears spill down her cheeks and before she knew what she was doing, she was crying like a child. Her savior simply held her close, gently stroking her hair untill she relaxed and fell into a fitful slumber.

* * *

><p>Kagome walked down the path towards Kyoto with Inuyasha directly behind her. Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and even Koga were there as well. Kagome had demanded that they go to Kyoto again to find Midori, and much to Inuyasha's dismay, she refused to find any jewel shards untill she knew Midori was safe. Inuyasha and Koga had been having a glaring contest all morning, and finally Kagome had put a stop to it, saying that she would rather go to Kyoto alone than deal with any more of their childishness. And now they were sulking.<p>

Kagome looked up at the darkening clouds and sighed ruefully. They wouldn't be able to travel if it started to rain, and that could cost them the precious seconds they needed to find Midori. She prayed to any deity that would listen, begging for the rain to hold out untill they found Midori and brought her safely back to Kaede's village.

Just then, a strange cloud passed overhead, moving faster than the others, and a droplet of water landed on Kagome's cheek. She stopped, watching the cloud as it passed them by, heading back towards Kaede's village. Inuyasha looked frozen in place.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, looking at him. His eyes were locked on the fast-moving cloud. "What is it?"

"That was Sesshoumaru." Inuyasha growled, walking back towards Kaede's village. "He has Midori with him."

"Are you sure?" Kagome asked, walking a few steps behind him uncertainly.

"Hurry up or you'll get left behind!" Inuyasha snapped over his shoulder. "I got a bone to pick with my big brother."

The group turned around and went back to Kaede's village with all due haste, their pace quickening into a run as time went by and their worries began to effect their nerves.

Inuyasha's eyes were hard, glinting like steel in the fading light as they walked back into the village. Kaede was standing outside her hut, waiting for them. She walked over to Inuyasha as they approached.

"Where is he?" Inuyasha asked, not bothering with pleasantries or formalities.

"He took the girl to the hot springs at the base of the mountain, Inuyasha. She was in terrible shape." Kaede said, her wizened voice filled with concern. "I suggest you run along now. Go be with your friend. I think she'll need all of you when she wakes up."

* * *

><p>Midori woke to the scent of sulpher and sandalwood, and she was enveloped with a liquid warmth that soothed her aching body. She felt the gentle tug of wet fabric as she moved slightly, and she felt hands, slow and steady, gently massaging her body, fingers gliding through her wet hair.<p>

She let out a barely audible sigh. This must be heaven.

"Don't try to move, Tamamo no Midori." Midori froze upon hearing her demon name. "You're still badly wounded. Though I am impressed by your regenerative abilities."

Midori slowly opened her eyes to see the sky above her, the scenery distinctly different from what she saw when she had collapsed. Instead of Oaks and Maples, she saw aged Pines and gnarled Fir trees. From all corners of her vision, she could see thick tendrils of milky white steam rising from the water in which she was laying. Midori turned her head slightly, wincing when a jolt of pain shot down her spine.

"See?" Midori turned and saw Sesshoumaru sitting in the water beside her. He was still wearing his haori and hakama, but his armor and swords were lying on a rock nearby. "I told you not to move."

"What are you doing?" Midori asked, her voice still hoarse and quiet.

"I'm tending to your wounds." He replied simply as he gently grasped her shoulders and tugged her to a space next to him, sitting her in the water and leaning her up against the cold rocks. "I hope you don't mind, but I had to remove your kimono in order to properly tend to you. I did leave your hiyoku on, however, so you needn't worry about your modesty."

"Eh?" Midori asked dumbly and then she looked down at herself. She was wearing the thin white linen hiyoku, as was commonly worn beneath a woman's kimono during this age. She blushed at the way the wet fabric hung to her every curve, and she looked away, avoiding Sesshoumaru's quiet gaze. "Arigato..."

"I'm merely returning the favor." Sesshoumaru stood, pulling himself from the water and donning his armor and weapons. "You saved Rin's life, and you healed me when I was wounded. I am simply showing my gratitude."

"How is Rin, by the way?" Midori asked as her soaking wet tails wrapped around her body, obscuring it from view as she attempted to change the topic.

"She is well. Jaken is teaching her how to fish." Sesshoumaru turned and leaned his back against a tree, looking down the path with narrowed eyes.

"That sounds like fun." Midori smiled slightly. "Though I don't know how fun it would be to learn anything from that slimy imp, unless it's learning how far you can kick him."

Midori thought she heard the faintest chuckle from Sesshoumaru and she turned to look at him just as he took a few steps and then disappeared into the forest. Midori was left there in the hot springs, alone once again. Sighing, Midori slowly tried to move, easing her body out of the water and over to where her ruined kimono and her katana lay on a nearby rock.

"Great.. Still no shoes.. And I have to walk all the way back to.." Midori picked up her things and then paused as she stood, looking around. "Wait.. Where the hell am I..?"

"Oh well." She thought out loud. "I guess it really doesn't matter. I'll just follow this path and see where it leads me."

Midori smirked slightly at the methaphorical meaning behind her words and slowly hobbled down the path, shivering slightly as she hugged her soaking wet tails to her body, her long black hair gathering to form inky black tendrils that hung heavily around her shoulders.

"Midori-chan!" Kagome's voice reached Midori's ears and she froze. Kagome sounded very near, and within a few moments, the sound of heavy footfalls soon followed, revealing a very worried looking Kagome as she ran up the path to meet Midori.

"Kagome..?" Midori blinked, her voice was weak and it wavered from the force of her shivering. "What..? How..? Where am I?"

"It's okay, Midori." It was Sango's voice this time. Midori felt something warm and dry drape around her shoulders and she snuggled into it for warmth unconsciously. Sango was standing at Midori's side. "You're just outside Kaede's village."

"Where is he?" Inuyasha stormed up to the three girls, looking around warily for Sesshoumaru.

"Inuyasha.." Kagome looked mad. Inuyasha snapped to attention quickly and held up his hands in compliance, taking a step or two back. "At least notice when you barge in on a woman when she's not dressed!"

"Eh?" Inuyasha blinked stupidly. His eyes went from Kagome, to Sango, and fell on Midori who was standing in the middle, soaking wet with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders as she shivered. Midori saw the slightest tinge of pink on Inuyasha's cheeks before he quickly whirled around and started walking away. "Sorry about that."

Kagome and Sango sighed, and then they carefully led Midori down the path and back into Kaede's village. The villagers all looked at Midori with concerned glances, and Midori's features darkened slightly as she looked away, staring at her feet. Sango and Kagome noticed this and hurried Midori into Kaede's hut, where Kaede was waiting with some hot soup and a clean kimono.

"Miroku, Koga and Inuyasha have all been sent out, Midori." Kaede said with a smile. "You don't have to worry about changing into some clean clothes."

"Thank you, Kaede.." Midori bowed a little low and she swayed, losing her balance as the dizziness of hunger returned to sap what little strength she had. Just as Midori was about to fall, Sango and Kagome caught her, helping her up and sitting her near the fire. "Thank you.."

"You don't have to thank us so much, Midori." Sango said with a smile as she helped Midori put on some dry clothes, gently drying her hair with a towel.

"Yeah. After all, aren't friends supposed to help one another?" Kagome smiled warmly at Midori, handing her a cup of sweet-smelling tea.

"B-but.." Midori stammered nervously, gingerly taking the cup Kagome offered her with trembling hands. "Aren't you afraid of me..?"

"Afraid of you?" Sango and Kagome said in unison, exchanging looks of surprise.

"Why would we be afraid of you? Sango asked, a goofy smile returning to her lips.

"We couldn't be afraid of you, Midori. You're our friend, no matter what." Kagome leaned over to hug Midori, followed by Sango. Kaede watched from a distance with a warm smile gracing her weathered face.

Midori dropped the cup she had been holding and wrapped her arms around her friends, finally releasing the heart rending cries that she had been holding in, tears streaming down her cheeks in a torrent. She poured out every emotion she had ever held in, laying her heart bare before them as she told them everything she had felt those past few days. The two girls simply held their friend close and waited for the incoherent, tear stained babbles to calm down into a sniffle and a few hiccups.

After she had stopped crying, Midori wiped her eyes and cleaned up the tea she had dropped. Kagome passed her another cup of tea, and Sango gave Midori a bowl of soup. After Midori had eaten, all three girls layed down on one of Kagome's sleeping bags and soon fell asleep, with Midori in the middle, warmth gradually returning to her frozen heart.

* * *

><p>A cresent moon hung over the grounds of Miyamori Shrine, barely visable between the thick rain clouds that flew quickly across the sky. The wind howled through the trees mournfully, as if searching for a lost lover, causing the last sakura petal to fall from the tree, signalling the end of spring and the beginning of a new season. It was summer but even so, it seemed somehow colder.<p>

All was silent except for the wind. There was no sound from either man, beast or demon. And then, gradually, one sound rose up from under the wind. A rumbling, vibrating sound. In a hidden corner of Miyamori Shrine, an old, empty shrine started to rattle and shake violently, and a blue light spilled forth from cracks in the old wooden sliding doors. And then suddenly, just as it began, it ended, leaving only the howling wind.

Footsteps sounded from within the shrine and slowly, the wooden door slid open and a young man stepped out. He was tall, with messy oak brown hair, and deep black eyes. He was wearing black and purple robes of a priest and carried a staff with him much like Miroku's. He shut the door behind him and walked down the steps, looking down into the valley where Kyoto lay nestled in the valley between the mountains before he looked up at the yellow cresent moon high above him.

"Midori-sama..."


	9. The Calm Before The Storm

Sesshoumaru paused for a moment after he entered the clearing. Clouds blanketted the sky giving him no light to see his surroundings properly, and the wind caused the trees to sway, shadows dancing ominously. He turned.

"So?" Inuyasha was leaning up against a tree a few paces behind Sesshoumaru, not looking at him. "Where'd you find her, and how bad was it really?"

"I don't know what you mean." Sesshoumaru replied, his voice cold and detached.

"Don't give me that horse shit. You know exactly what I mean." Inuyasha grumbled with an annoyed sigh. "Just tell me the truth, alright?"

"Very well." Sesshoumaru stated plainly as he turned to face his younger brother. Inuyasha's eyes widened slightly at how forthcoming the normally icy Sesshoumaru was being. "I was travelling last night when I saw a daiyokai fly overheard. The scent of it seemed familiar, and yet different. It was tainted by Naraku's stench and the scent of death. I followed the scent to a field outside of Kyoto, where the scent changed into Tamamo no Midori's own scent. However, it was still laced with the scent of death, so I continued to follow merely to sate my own curiousity."

"When I found her, " Sesshoumaru continued, ignoring Inuyasha's widened eyes. "She had been trying to climb a mountain, but had been unable to do so because of her wounds. She was covered in dirt, her own blood, and fresh bruises. I found her collapsed in the mud at the base of the mountain."

"Did you happen to notice anything about that mountain in particular while you were there?" Inuyasha asked, gritting his teeth, hoping that he was wrong.

"That mountain was home to a sizeable shrine from what I care to remember. Why?"

"Sesshoumaru.. She sorta used to live at that shrine." Inuyasha looked down at the dirt, his ears flattening slightly before he looked up at his older brother. "I think Midori is scared."

"Why would she be frightened?" Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed slightly, and his delicate features furrowed into a frown. "She's a daiyokai, a princess among our kind. And in her case, she's the last princess of her clan."

"I don't think she fully understands that yet." Inuyasha said. "Midori has only been alive for eighteen years, remember? And she was born and raised by humans. Humans that work at a shrine, no less. She knows virtually nothing about Youkai kind, and I think she's frightened by the change. She probably didn't even know what was happening when she transformed."

"Hn." Sesshoumaru turned and left to find Jaken and Rin, his mind processing the information he'd just recieved. If she was truely afraid of the change to being a youkai, then why was she always smiling when she looked at him? Why had she healed him that day in the forest? No.. There's something else going on.

Inuyasha watched as Sesshoumaru flew off into the darkness, sighing exhaustedly. That was his first real conversation with his older brother that hadn't resorted to a brawl of some sort. Inuyasha chuckled to himself. He'd have to tell Midori. She'd be proud of him.

Just as the sun was rising, Sesshoumaru arrived at where Jaken and Rin had set up camp while he had been away. Ah-Un was laying on his side, one head asleep, and the other head awake, while Rin was curled up next to the great beast, fast asleep on an old blanket. Jaken was asleep, sitting upright as he clutched his staff, resting his head against it. Sesshoumaru strode over to the sleeping imp and stopped at his side.

"Jaken."

"H-hai, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken quickly roused himself and stood, awaiting his orders.

"Wake Rin and then go find food for the two of you." Sesshoumaru said, looking off at the distant horizon with narrowed eyes as the sun rose up over the hills completely.

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken bowed quickly, pressing his nose against the dirt, and then he scurried off to shake Rin awake, annoying Ah-Un in the process. Rin woke just in time to see Ah-Un kick Jaken into a nearby tree.

"Rin." Sesshoumaru walked over, sitting to meet her eye-level, which surprised her but she smiled just the same.

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama?" She asked, looking into his honey amber eyes.

"Tell me. Do you remember that fox demon who saved you from the centipede? Tamamo no Midori?" He asked. He had something to confirm, and Rin was his only way.

"Hai! I remember Midori-sama." Rin nodded, apparently proud of her memory.

"Tell me everything about her battle with the centipede." His question seemed to surprise Rin, but she did as she was asked, relaying even the smallest detail in her story.

Soon, Jaken returned with food, so he and Rin cooked and ate quickly before gathering up their belongings and dousing the fire. Sesshoumaru was sitting under a tree calmly. He nodded to himself and stood, walking over to Jaken once again. He knew what he had to do.

"Jaken. I have a very important mission for you." He said, looking down at the little imp.

"Yes, M'lord?" Jaken had tears of joy in his eyes. He'd been a glorified babysitter for too long.

"Take this message to the fallen vassals of the Tamamo clan. 'Your mistress lives. She is in the west. She is in good hands.'." Sesshoumaru watched as Jaken's eyes lit up, and he quickly repeated the message before turning to leave. Sesshoumaru glared at Jaken's retreating back, not really trusting in his vassal's abilities. "Jaken, do not fail me. This is of utmost importance. Relay that message to _no one_ but the Tamamo clan. You are to go to the castle in the West when you are finished."

"Hai!" Jaken cried, shuddering at the icy tone of his lord Sesshoumaru. He scurried off to the east, running as fast as his little legs would carry him.

Sesshoumaru turned to see Rin chattering to Ah-Un happily, placing wreathes of flowers around each of the beast's necks. He felt the faintest tug of a smile on his lips. Soon, the three left, flying on Sesshoumaru's cloud, their backs to the rising sun as they flew in the direction of the western castle. For the first time in months, he was going home.

* * *

><p>When Midori woke, she was pleased by the sensation of warmth and the scents of her friends. She could feel that she was snuggled up in Kagome's sleeping bag, and she smiled, remembering the night before. She could hear the animated conversations her friends were having as they sat near the fire, not realizing that their voices woke her. She smiled, rubbing her eyes and propping herself up into a sitting position, ignoring the subtle ache of her body's protests.<p>

"Oh, Inuyasha! Now look what you did!" Kagome's voice grumbled. "You woke Midori!"

"It wasn't my fault! Koga started it!" Inuyasha whined. Midori could even hear that he was pouting by the way he spoke.

"Oh like hell, muttface!" Koga growled.

"Guys, It's fine." Midori said, opening her eyes. Happy tears were already welling up in her eyes, and her smile was so bright, it probably rivalled the sun, because everyone, including Koga and Inuyasha stopped and stared. Midori couldn't help but giggle. "Good morning, everyone."

"Midori!" Shippo was the first to react, jumping down from Kagome's shoulder to pounce on Midori as she shifted her hiyoku to cover more of herself. "We heard you crying last night! Are you okay?"

"I'm alright, Shippo." Midori smiled and picked Shippo up, hugging him close. The child stilled and Midori heard his happy sigh as he snuggled against her.

"Hnph. All beaten up and _still_ she can smile." Inuyasha grumbled, walking over to Midori and crouching down at her bedside and handing her a bowl of rice. "Just where the heck do you get all that strength anyway?"

"Well, that's an easy question to answer." Midori giggled, taking the bowl of rice with a cheerful smile, looking over the faces of her friends. "I get my strength from all of you. Seeing everyone together like this gives me strength."

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard!" Inuyasha snorted, placing a hand on Midori's head and ruffling her hair gently. But he was smiling too.

"Alright, alright. Let my little sister eat already!" Koga grumbled, pouring more rice into his bowl.

"Little sister?" The group chimed, turning to stare at Koga, their eyes wide.

"Yeah." Koga answered simply, not looking up from his rice while he ate. "She saved my life and the lives of my men during that last battle with Kagura. I've decided to make her a member of my pack. Got a problem with that?"

"Koga.." Midori's voice made him look up. He saw Midori, staring back at him with her liquid jade eyes, a tear rolling down her cheek. "Are you sure you want someone like me in your pack?"

"Baka!" Koga snorted, suddenly feeling guilty for letting her go after the battle with Kagura. "You did what some of my best men couldn't do! Who _wouldn't_ want you in their pack?"

"Of course her battle strength isn't the only reason, right Koga?" Kagome looked at Koga with a sly smile, her tone somewhat warning.

"Of course it's not the only reason!" Koga snapped, looking away from Kagome, his cheeks flushing pink. Inuyasha noticed right away.

"Oh ho! Now I see! Koga's got a crush on Midori!" Inuyasha gloated, pointing out Koga's blush with a wicked grin.

"Eh?" Midori blinked with surprise, her own blush rising to her cheeks as she looked away from Koga, muttering. "No one's ever had a crush on me before.."

"That's not fair!" Shippo jumped from Midori's arms and stood in front of Midori, spreading his arms wide as if he were protecting her, puffing his chest out to look bigger. "You can't have her, Koga! She's mine! It's not fair that you already know something about her that I don't!"

"Eh?" Koga raised an eyebrow, looking at Shippo. "What are you talking about, squirt?"

"You got to see her transform!" Shippo pouted, crossing his arms over his chest, his tail fluffing out more than usual. "When I got to the battle, she was already running away!"

"Come to think of it.." Kagome mused and everyone's view swivelled to Midori. Midori blinked, watching as the conversation took on a life of it's own. "I didn't see Midori transform either. I was knocked out."

"Miroku and I were with Shippo. We only saw Midori for a second when Kirara saw her and flew over." Sango recalled.

"Oh, how I would have loved to see that!" Miroku sighed lamentably, and everyone stopped and looked at Midori expectantly.

"Wait, you guys want to see me transform?" Midori cried, looking around the room. Everyone nodded in unison. "But I don't even know how I did it last time. I just kinda.. lost it.."

"Well, " Kagome began, "Maybe if you practice, you'll get better and you'll be able to transform at will."

"Alright, I'll try." Midori sighed, much to the joy of her friends. Shippo cheered, and Midori ate her rice quickly. Afterwards, she put on a clean kimono over her hiyoku and slipped her sword into the sash around her waist. The group left Kaede's hut together, with Midori tying her hair back with a leather cord just as Kaede walked up with a bushel of herbs and flowers.

"Where are you going, child? Aren't you still wounded?" Kaede asked, concern in her voice.

"No, I'm alright now. Thank you, Kaede." Midori smiled. "Everyone wants to see me transform again, so we're going to the forest for a little while."

"Oh, would you mind if I came along? I'd like to see something like that as well!" Kaede smiled, "Some people believe that it is good luck to see a white nine-tailed fox, and I have not yet seen one."

"Of course. We'll wait for you at the clearing in the forest." Midori bowed and left with her impatient friends.

Midori walked behind everyone, leaving the village and walking into the forest near the Bone Eaters well. She listened to her friends chat merrily as they walked, the sunlight filtering through the leafy canopy above her. Birds sang happily nearby, and Midori couldn't smell a single demon for miles around, save for Inuyasha, Shippo and Koga of course. Midori smiled, thinking that this was turning out to be a good day.

They reached the clearing, and Midori's friends took their places, sitting on the cluster of boulders near the tree line. Midori sat with them as they waited for Kaede to join them. Shippo had seen his chance and quickly jumped over to Midori, sitting in her lap and humming a nonsensical tune as he played with his toys. Soon, Midori could smell humans all around her and she turned to see Kaede walking into the clearing, followed by what looked like half of the village.

"What's going on?" Midori asked, feeling a tickle of fear as she stood and walked over to Kaede. "Why are all these people here?"

"I was putting away some herbs, and a neighbor came by to visit me. I happened to mention that I was going to see a white nine-tailed fox, and it would seem that the whole village learned of this within a matter of minutes!" Kaede looked around her, clearly looking amused. "They have all come to see you, child."

"Really?" Midori looked around at the villagers with wide eyes. Some of them were looking at her with surprised looks as they talked amongst themselves, others were looking at her with admiration, or smiling at her happily like long-lost friends. Midori felt tears well up in her eyes, but she blinked them away, nodding. "Alright."

"Okay. Could everyone move over to those rocks over there? I'll need some room, and I don't want to squish anyone.." Midori called to the group of villagers, fidgitting shyly as a blush crept onto her cheeks. "Also, you'll have to forgive me if this doesn't work. I haven't quite gotten used to this yet.."

"That's alright dear. Just take your time." Kaede smiled and she, as well as the villagers, moved over to the rocks where Inuyasha, Kagome and the others were already sitting. Men and women, old and young alike, all moved as one as they followed Kaede across the clearing, chatting nervously.

"What's all this about?" Inuyasha asked, looking at Kagome as the villagers arrived, some sitting around the rocks and talking with each other, others standing and watching Midori nervously, as if she were some great deity that could be angered at any moment.

"I haven't got a clue.." Kagome replied, blinking with surprise. Soon, all the villagers stopped and turned to look at Midori.

"Alright.." Midori sighed, standing in the middle of the large clearing. She was nervous, trembling slightly as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, remembering Kagome's advice. "Picture what I want to happen in my mind. Relax and then let it happen."

A gentle wave of pleasant youki was released from Midori's body, and a soft green glow appeared around her as she transformed. It had worked. Much to everyone's awe and delight, a huge white nine-tailed fox stood in the center of the clearing, pure white fur shining in the sunlight, her swirling red markings almost glowing against her fur. Her tails swished gently as she turned slowly and crouched down low to let the villagers look at her, laying her head down on her paws and relaxing.

The village children immediately jumped up, laughing as they ran over to Midori and happily climbing up onto her. Their parents seemed to panic a little, but they calmed down when they saw that Midori allowed it, even looking amused when a little girl lost her grip and slid down her forehead and onto her nose. Once the children's parents pulled them away from Midori, she slowly stood, causing the villagers to back away a little.

Midori grinned to herself as she was given the room she needed, crouching down low and then springing up into the air. All the villagers seemed to thing she would fall back down, shielding themselves, but when nothing came, they looked up to see Midori running through the air happily, the wind ruffling her fur as she flew around the clearing in lazy circles. Everyone seemed delighted at this, clapping and cheering.

After a short while, Midori floated down a ways towards the ground and transformed back into her youkai form in mid-air, allowing herself to fall the short distance to the ground, landing with grace. Shippo, Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, Kaede and even Koga rushed over to her with grins on their faces, and soon the villagers followed, laughing and talking with Midori happily. Midori stood in the center of the group, blushing at all the attention, answering questions from the children and reassuring their parents when they apologized for their children's curiousity.

Midori couldn't remember a time when she had been so happy before. She had people who cared about her now and the realization of this send a wave of happiness through her that brought tears to her eyes. She felt like she had finally been accepted for who she was.

* * *

><p>Somewhere, dark clouds hung low in the sky, and a milky white mist rolled across the ground. The air was thick and humid, smelling of rot and decaying plantlife. Kagura slowly opened her eyes and coughed, dark brown river water spewing from her lips as she gasped to replace it with air. She brought a trembling hand up to her chest and stomach, where the worst of her wounds had been, only to find that she had healed somehow. She had somehow survived her encounter with that fox woman, she had been tossed into a river and washed up here. Where ever "here" was..<p>

Kagura groaned as she forced herself up, her muscles stiff and cold as her soaked kimono clung to her body, making it that much harder to move. As she looked around, she took in her surroundings. She was laying on a riverbed, covered with brownish green mud and muck from the river. It smelled like she was in a swamp, and she could vaguely hear frogs and toads chirping in the distance.

Kagura whirled around when she heard a rustling noise in the tall grass beside her and she sighed with relief when she saw a young girl walk towards her. It was Kanna. She had long white hair and a pure white kimono, despite walking around in a swamp, and she carried a mirror in both hands.

"Kanna, huh?" Kagura said weakly, her voice raspy and hoarse. "So Naraku sent you to find me?"

"Hai." The girl said simply, her voice and face showing no emotions as she slowly held up her mirror to Kagura. Kagura tensed, watching as her image swirled into darkness, and soon the image changed, showing Naraku's learing face. He looked amused. That was never a good sign.

"So I see you survived, Kagura." His voice automatically caused Kagura's skin to crawl and a knot to form in her stomach. She already wanted to puke. "Tell me what happened."

"I couldn't get the jewel shards from that wolf." Kagura grumbled, looking away from the mirror. "I was interupted. That damn hanyou Inuyasha and his Miko showed up, along with the rest of their group. It seems like they have a new member."

"Oh?" Naraku asked, although Kagura could tell he already knew. Kagura shuddered visably as she told Naraku about the battle, and most importantly, about that fox monster that nearly ripped her to shreds. If she had her heart, she would have died instantly upon being caught. It still sickened her to be Naraku's slave, but this was the one instance where she almost felt relief that she had survived because of him.

"Interesting." Naraku's tone chilled Kagura, and before she could ask him anything, his face disappeared and Kanna lowered the mirror.

"I guess I'm supposed to just go back to him then." Kagura sighed. Kanna waited for Kagura to stand, and soon they were flying on Kagura's feather in the direction of Naraku's newest hide-out.

* * *

><p>Jaken had been walking for three days when he finally reached the hidden village where the fallen vassals of the Tamamo clan resided. It was nestled in a small valley of the rolling, grassy plains of the East. The abandoned Tamamo castle could be seen in the distance, old and dilapidated, the pure white stone walls now cracked and faded with age, the black tile roof collapsing in some places. Jaken sighed, shaking his head. He would never allow such a travesty as that to occur, letting his lord's castle fall to ruin like that, even if his lord were never to return.<p>

Jaken slowed his pace and puffed out his chest, giving him a look of importance as he walked into the village and stopped in it's center, allowing the villagers to see him. They were all foxes, some orange, some brown, others even varying to grey and black. They walked upright on their hind legs as if it were the most normal thing in the world, wearing clothes and carrying simple weapons and tools. Jaken didn't budge, waiting for the village elder to appear.

He didn't have to wait long. Soon, a large brown fox walked up to him. It was carrying a wooden staff, wearing a simple grey kimono, it's fur turning silver with age.

"I am the village elder, Tomoe." It said with a bow. Apparently, it was female. "What can I do for you this fine day, traveller?"

"I am Jaken, a vassal of His Lord Sesshoumaru, son of the great Inutaicho. I come bearing a message!" Jaken stated proudly. He watched as the fox's eyes widened, and the villagers stopped and gathered around in a circle, curious.

"Come, Jaken-dono. I will hear your message over tea." Tomoe beckoned for Jaken to follow, and she led him into a small hut. It smelled of herbs and tonics, neatly labelled glass jars lined one of the walls, filled with various powders, herbs and potions. Jaken could tell some of the villagers had followed them. They hung around the door and listened, even as Tomoe shut the door behind her.

"What is your message, sir? I'm afraid if it is a war your master wants, we will not be able to put up much fight." Tomoe said sadly, quickly preparing some tea and handing Jaken a small worn cup. "We have lost much of our lands to humans and rivalling demon clans, and as we no longer have a master, we cannot fight."

"My message has nothing to do with war, Elder." Jaken said, putting the cup down. He didn't have much time. "My master's message is this. Your princess is alive. She resides in the west, and she is in good hands."

"Is.. what you say true?" Tomoe gasped, looking at Jaken with wide golden eyes.

"Yes. Her name is Tamamo no Midori. She is the lost daughter of Tamamo no Mae, your last mistress. Last I heard, she was currently travelling with an Inu hanyou named Inuyasha, a miko, and a few others. I have not seen her in many weeks, but she seemed healthy, however lacking in manners." Jaken said, watching as the elder kitsune's expression changed from fear, to shock, to a beaming happiness.

"Thank you for your message, Jaken-dono!" Tomoe smiled. "I must tell the rest of the village! I'm sure they would be delighted to hear the news! Come, it is only right for you to see their joy, as you were the messenger."

Tomoe and Jaken left the hut and walked back to the center of the village together, standing on a small wooden circle that raised them up above the heads of the others.

"Gather 'round everyone! I have wonderful news!" Tomoe shouted, surprising Jaken with how loud the elder's voice could be. As the villagers gathered, Tomoe's smile widened. "Jaken-dono has just told me that our Mistress, Tamamo no Mae, had a daughter!"

The villagers looked shocked and amazed, asking various questions and talking amongst themselves. Tomoe hushed them and continued talking, relaying the message that Jaken had been given.

"Her name is Tamamo no Midori. She is currently travelling with the hanyou Inuyasha and his party, however I am told that she resides in the West! I wish to send two of our warriors to greet her. Would Kotone and Takao please step forward?" Tomoe asked, and the crowd parted and moved away from the elder, allowing two figures to walk through and kneel before Tomoe.

"Please assume your youkai forms." Tomoe asked, and both foxes changed, almost looking human, which surprised Jaken.

"Kotone," Tomoe turned to look at a young woman, wearing a plain sky blue kimono with a white obi, carrying a koto wrapped with purple silk on her back. She had long black hair tied back in a bun with a white cord, blue eyes and navy blue markings on her cheeks and around her eyes.

"Takao," Tomoe turned to the other, a strong looking young man, his muscles barely covered by his armor, which was made up of thick black leather and his grey kimono was beneath that, reminding Jaken of the armor from the Continent. He had charcoal grey hair and black eyes, with silver markings, two streaks on either cheek and a thin ring on his forehead. He had two swords strapped to his hip.

"Both of you are to travel west to meet with our princess. Travel quickly and silently, only battle when you have no choice. You are to find and protect our princess, following her direction untill our village is ready to recieve her. I will send a messenger to find you when we are ready." Tomoe spoke with authority in her voice and the two warriors nodded with understanding. Tomoe then turned to Jaken, her eyes kind.

"I trust you will also be travelling west, Jaken-dono?" She asked.

"Yes. I have been asked to travel to the Western Castle." Jaken responded.

"Would you be kind enough to travel with our warriors and tell them what you know of our mistress? I am sure any information you have would help them to find her."

"Of course." Jaken bowed.

Jaken, Kotone and Takao left the village after they had collected supplies for the journey. As they travelled, Jaken told the two fox warriors everything he knew about Tamamo no Midori and the group she travelled with. They seemed surprised by the amount of information he had, but they stayed silent, listening to his words. They soon parted ways, Jaken heading farther west, and the two warriors heading south towards Kaede's village, where Jaken had assumed Midori would be.

* * *

><p>"Midori!" Shippo whined, running up to Midori and looking up at her, pouting. "I wanna ride on your back when you transform and fly around!"<p>

"I'm sorry, Shippo, but I'm not a horse." Midori giggled and picked up the little fox and set him on her shoulders. "How's this?"

Shippo giggled as he and Midori walked around the village, the setting sun casting long shadows. Midori had been spending the day with Kaede after her performance in the forest this morning. They had been gathering herbs in the forest and visiting people around the village as Kaede tended to various ailments. Midori had stepped in when Kaede had grown exhausted, healing whom she could and giving advice to anyone who asked for it.

"You're so popular now, Midori-chan!" Shippo chirped from atop Midori's shoulders, playing with her hair after she had finished speaking with another villager.

"Yeah, I guess I am." Midori admitted, shrugging slightly, her tails swishing happily. "Though I was a little scared when all the villagers showed up in the forest this morning. I thought they were going to run me off!"

"No way! I wouldn't let em!" Shippo announced. "And there's no way Kagome and Inuyasha would stand for it either."

"I guess you're right. I just can't help worrying sometimes, that's all." Midori sighed as they stopped at the edge of the village, looking down at the rice fields, shimmering with an orange glow from the setting sun. "Hey Shippo?"

"Hn?"

"I think I'm going to call myself Tamamo no Midori from now on." Midori said, staring out at the rice fields, her voice quiet. "I realized something this morning. Not all humans are like my sister and think I'm a monster.. Especially in this era. I think I'll stay here, where I know people accept me."

"That's good! I don't know what I'd do if you went away again." Shippo said, resting his head on top of hers. "I was really sad when you left us, even if it was only for a day."

"I'm sorry, Shippo. I didn't mean to make you sad." Midori smiled slightly, reaching up to pat his head gently. She could tell he had fallen asleep, so she turned and walked back into the village quietly, heading for Kaede's hut on the other side of the valley. The days were lasting longer now, and Midori thought of how long she'd been in the Feudal Era. It had been almost two months, hadn't it? She sighed, wondering for a moment how her human family was doing before she pushed the thought away.

Midori reached Kaede's hut just as the sun had set completely, just in time to see Koga leave the hut with Kagome and Inuyasha following behind.

"Yo, Koga-chan!" Midori grinned at the wolf demon playfully.

"Ugh! Enough with the "Koga-chan" already!" He groused, but Midori could still see his cheeks turning pink, his deep blue eyes avoiding hers.

"Ha! Look, he's embarassed!" Inuyasha chided, laughing and pointing at Koga. "Maybe now that Midori's around, Koga will finally stop trying to steal Kagome away from me!"

"What did you just say?" Koga whirled around to face Inuyasha, his fist clenched.

"Don't worry, _Koga-chan_! You can have Midori, just as long as you stay away from Kagome!" Inuyasha laughed, wrapping an arm around Kagome's shoulder possessively.

"Wait a sec, don't we get a say?" Midori asked, an eyebrow raised. Kagome nodded, shrugging off Inuyasha's arm.

"Of course not! You're women. It's the man's job to fight over the women, and it's the woman's job to sit there untill the winner is decided!" Inuyasha announced, not noticing Kagome's obvious annoyance.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome's voice was icy cold as she glared at him, but Inuyasha just kept strutting around like a peacock. "SIT!"

The beads around Inuyasha's neck glowed red for an instant and then Inuyasha was thrown into the ground. Hard. Midori just stood there and blinked with surprise, not knowing whether she should check to see if he was still breathing, or roll around on the ground laughing her head off.

"Inuyasha, are you okay?" Midori asked, walking to his side and covering her mouth with her kimono, trying to hide her giggles.

"Nyugh..." Inuyasha groaned, pushing himself up out of the dirt, rubbing his jaw with the back of his hand. "I'm fine. Kagome does that sometimes when I act like an idiot."

"Nice to see that you're taking it so well this time. You usually bite my head off." Kagome sighed, watching as Inuyasha stood up, grumbling.

"Yeah, well I don't wanna wake Shippo or scare Midori!" Inuyasha grumbled and brushed the dirt from his haori and hakama.

"Well, I gotta get back to my pack, you guys." Koga announced after he stopped laughing his head off, wiping the tears from his eyes with a grin. "Besides, with Kagura attacking them in broad daylight like that, somethin' must be up. I gotta make sure they're protected in case she comes back."

"That's sweet of you, Koga. You're a good man." Midori smiled, watching as Koga smiled back slightly, looking slightly bashful. "Be sure to let me know if you need some extra muscle, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll let ya know. It's great knowing you have a daiyoukai on your side!" He grinned and then turned and ran off, leaving a dust cloud in his wake.

"Eh.. Everyone keeps saying daiyoukai this, daiyoukai that.. It'd be nice if people forgot about that for a while.." Midori sighed half-heartedly.

"Ah, don't worry about it. We'll be leaving the village soon anyway. And with you being able to fly, getting places will be a breeze! We can just ride on your back!" Inuyasha grinned stupidly, looking at Midori.

"Kagome.. The word please?" Midori asked, glaring at Inuyasha.

"Sit." Inuyasha crashed to the ground once again.

"Inuyasha.." Midori said, her voice quiet as she walked over and stood next to him, glaring down at him as he tried to push himself up. "I am _not_ a horse!"

"Got it... sorry.." Inuyasha groaned weakly before he collapsed back down into the dirt again.

Midori and Kagome left Inuyasha there, walking into Kaede's hut to put Shippo to bed, telling Miroku and Sango that they would be leaving tomorrow. They gathered their things for the journey tomorrow, ate quickly and went to sleep. Midori lay next to Kagome and Sango, thinking about the journey ahead as she fell asleep.


	10. Playing God

"Okay, you two. I think that's enough for now." Midori grinned, looking down at Shippo and Kagome, who were sitting in the grass trying to regain their breath.

Midori and her friends had left Kaede's village a week ago, and during their travels, much to Kagome's and Shippo's dismay, Midori's training had not only continued, but increased. They had trained with Midori each night while Inuyasha, Sango and Miroku set up the camp. The sun was just beginning to set, casting an orange glow over the grassy field they had been training in.

"How come... You're not even.. Winded?" Kagome asked between pants as she wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand, looking up at Midori.

"I finished this kind of training when I was Shippo's age." Midori said proudly, plopping down in the grass to sit next to them. "I'm impressed that you two have progressed this far in so little time."

Midori handed Shippo and Kagome each a water bottle and sat back with a grin, her tails swishing behind her happily. Kagome and Shippo both chugged down the water, gasping for air once they had emptied the bottles. Midori heard a rustling in the grass behind her and turned to see Miroku walking into the field with a silent look of amusement.

"Sango told me to come and get you. Dinner will be ready soon." Miroku said, looking over the exhausted Shippo and Kagome, and then grinning Midori with twinkling eyes. "I see you were a ruthless instructor once again, Midori-sama."

"Well, physical training increases endurance and stamina," Midori explained casually, standing up and stretching luxuriously before turning to look at Shippo and Kagome. "And besides, this training could save their lives some day. They won't always have arrows or toys to throw at people."

"That's cruel, Midori!" Shippo whined as he stood, followed by Kagome, and the four of them walked back to camp, laughing happily as the smell of roasted meat reached their noses.

Once they reached the camp, Midori could see Inuyasha sitting at the base of a tree, staring off into the distance with narrowed eyes. Sango was sitting by the fire tending to the meat that was roasting, and Kirara was happily snacking away on a piece of raw meat that Sango had set aside for her. Midori, Kagome, Shippo and Miroku sat down in a circle around the fire and began to eat, followed by Inuyasha who whined about not having any ramen. They were all chatting and laughing happily untill Midori suddenly fell silent.

Midori sniffed the air and frowned slightly, crinkling her nose as if she smelled something foul in the air. A gentle breeze blew passed and Midori actually coughed, covering her nose with the sleeve of her kimono, which everyone noticed.

"What is it, Midori?" Inuyasha asked, looking around with narrowed eyes. "I don't smell anything."

"I can't believe you don't smell that!" Midori gagged, her eyes watering as she coughed. "It smells like rot! And not the usual freshly killed rot, this is I-died-and-got-stuck-in-a-pickle-vat rot! We gotta get out of here, I can't stand this anymore!"

Midori stood, whining as she walked to an open space and transformed, covering her nose with her paws as her friends quickly climbed onto her back, forsaking the last bits of meat and their camp as Midori jumped away, trying to outrun the stench. She clawed her way into the air and after a while, the scent faded much to Midori's delight.

"Ha! I'm impressed, Midori!" Inuyasha laughed, "You couldn't wait to get away from that smell so you actually let us ride on your back! I thought you weren't a horse!"

Midori let out a low growl that basically said "If you don't shut up, I'll drop you.", which Inuyasha seemed to understand. Midori flew across the sky slowly, looking down at the world from her vantage point, untill she saw something that caused her to stiffen. The others seemed to notice it too.

"Guys, look down there!" Kagome said, pointing down at a village. It was a small village, with only twenty or thirty houses, and the rice fields around it were small. The water in the rice field was what drew Midori's attention. It was completely black. A thin mist hung in the air throughout the village, and Midori could see the outlines of corpses strewn about the village, laying dead as if their demise had been slow and painful.

"Come on, Midori! Lets go down there and check it out." Inuyasha said, standing up on Midori's back as she whimpered softly, but floated downwards nonetheless.

Once she had landed, she waited for them to slide off of her back and transformed, immediately covering her nose with her sleeve, whining weakly as she was once again confronted with the stench of rot and decay.

"Miroku, Kagome, put these on." Sango instructed, handing them both masks that protected against poisons and miasmas. Inuyasha, Shippo and Midori didn't need them because they were demons. Midori wanted one though, hoping it would block out the smell. "Sorry Midori. I only had two extras."

"It's okay, Sango." Midori whined, pouting behind her sleeve. "I'll make due. But we shouldn't stay around here too long. This whole area just feels.. wrong."

"I know what you mean." Kagome agreed, her voice muffled by the mask, as she and the rest of the group silently walked through the village, avoiding the corpses on the ground.

"Did anyone notice anything weird about the water in this place?" Sango asked, looking down into a bucket filled with black water.

"Yeah, I noticed that too." Inuyasha said, covering his own nose now as he looked around. "And I think I know why Midori is having such a hard time. There's barely any wind to blow away the smell."

"That's strange.." Miroku said, looking up at the mountain behind the village. "The wind should be stronger because of the mountain, not weaker."

"Even the well water is black!" Shippo cried as he looked down into the well, fox fire in the palm of his hand to illuminate the bottom.

"Hey guys! I see steps over there!" Kagome shouted. She stood a fair distance away, pointing up the mountain behind her. "Think we should check it out?"

"Yeah, lets go." Inuyasha declared, and the group left the village, walking up the large stone staircase. On the way up, they saw a few corpses of priests, their skin shrunken and leathery, their eyes shriveled or missing.

Once they reached the top of the steps, they looked through the mist at the shrine grounds. There was a stone pathway that lead through the grounds, lanterns perfectly spaced on either side, and sakura trees stood withered and bare in patches of dry, dead grass. There were a few small buildings near the front of the shrine grounds, while a larger building lay in the back, and nearby, there was a small wooden shrine, it's wooden sliding doors ripped off and destroyed.

"This looks just like Miyamori Shrine.." Midori breathed, looking around with wide eyes.

"Yes, I noticed that too." Miroku said solemnly, looking around with a frown. "Has anyone noticed the strange absense of corpses? There had to be more priests than that few we saw on the stairs.."

"I don't see any either. I don't get it." Inuyasha grumbled, jumping up onto the torii gate and looking into the shrine. "The air smells worse up here than down at the village, and yet there aren't any bodies."

"Midori, do you think you can find the source of the smell?" Sango asked, looking at Midori, who was beginning to look sick.

"Ugh.. Do I have to..?" Midori whined, pouting.

"If we find the source of the smell, we may be able to figure out why the villagers died in the first place." Miroku said, patting Midori's shoulder. "You'll be fine."

"Easy for you to say. You don't have my sense of smell." Midori grumbled, but she pulled her sleeve away from her nose, almost gagging as she breathed in the foul air. She held her eyes closed tight as tears began to trickle down her cheeks from the smell alone, but she tolerated it as best she could. "Come on. Lets go find the source and get out of here before I keel over."

The group followed Midori across the shrine grounds, a strange silence surrounding them as they walked. They couldn't even hear their footsteps against the stone walkway. Midori followed the smell to a smaller staircase that lead further up the mountain and she felt a dull ache in her chest. They walked up the stairs, the stone cracked and uneven, untill they reached a forest path. The air was thick and heavy, and Midori was panting with the effort it took to breathe, but she continued on through the forest.

"This is starting to worry me.." Kagome said, looking around as they left the forest and came to a clearing, where a river of black water flowed in the center, coming from a waterfall. "This is all too similar. Like someone created this place.."

"Lets go see how accurate they were." Midori said, beginning to feel a churning unease in the pit of her stomach. The group walked across the field of dead grass and wilted flowers and reached the waterfall.

"The water from the waterfall is completely pure.. So that means whatever is tainting the water must be coming from inside the cave." Miroku said as he walked along the stone wall to the back of the waterfall. He froze, looking inside for a moment before he turned back, his face pale. "Come look at this."

Midori was the first to react, jumping the distance between her and Miroku easily. She looked into the cave and saw the same paper lanterns that lined the walls of the cave behind Miyamori Shrine. Only these lanterns were painted with the word "Forget" instead of "Memory". They glowed with an ominous purple light as the group walked into the cave, following the single path.

"If it's truely identical to the cave we found behind Miyamori Shrine, there should be a cavern up ahead with a pool of water in the center." Miroku explained for Inuyasha, Sango and Shippo, his face still pinched into a scowl.

"I know one thing is different." Shippo said, riding on Kagome's shoulder. "There was a barrier across the entrance of the other cave. I couldn't get through, but Kagome and Miroku could. How come there's not something like that here?"

"The barrier was to keep out demons." Midori explained. "No demon could get into the cave without the magatama pendant. It was a place of purity that was created by Abe No Seimei after Tamamo no Mae cursed his family."

"What would happen to the cave if the barrier was removed?" Kagome asked as they came to the end of the path and walked into the cavern. Everyone stopped, staring ahead with wide eyes.

"This.." Midori breathed, taking in her surroundings. The walls were lined with sutras and ofuda, but they were charred beyond recognition. Symbols had been etched into the stone floor and ceiling, and there was a huge gash splitting the stone floor, causing the water from the pool in the center to flow across the room towards the cave, only to tunnel beneath the stone floor, probably leading directly to the waterfall. The water in the pool, which was usually a gentle clear blue, was now black, with an ash grey miasma leaking from it's surface.

"It's been tainted by something." Sango said as the group slowly walked closer. "And it looked purposefully done as well. That gash looks like it was perfectly carved."

"There's something in the water." Midori said, looking pale and weak as she broke out in a cold sweat. "I don't know what it is, but that's what's mucking up the water and causing the smell."

"Thank you, Midori. You did a good job holding out like this." Sango said, resting a hand on Midori's shoulder. Midori quickly covered her nose and mouth with her sleeve, but that did little to mask the smell when she was so close to the source.

"I can feel something like a pulse coming from the water.." Kagome said, staring into the pool warily. "Like it's alive.. Breathing."

"We shouldn't touch the water, but how are we going to purify it and get to whatever's at the bottom?" Miroku asked, looking like he was deep in thought.

"I could try using a sacred arrow." Kagome suggested and readied her bow, pulling an arrow from the quiver on her back. "Any objections?"

"None here." Miroku sighed, waving a hand lazily. "I can't think of anything that wouldn't potentially endanger one of us."

"Alright then. Everyone stand back, I don't know what will happen when I fire this arrow." Kagome said, and everyone backed up a few paces. Kagome notched an arrow and drew it back, taking a deep breath and channeling her energy into the arrow before she fired it.

The arrow glowed with a dim pink light and it whizzed into the water. It shot below the surface of the water with a faint splash, and all was silent for a few seconds while everyone waited, breathless, untill something happened.

The black water rippled for a few seconds before it began to churn and swirl, and then eventually it seemed to drain, becoming a cloudy grey. They watched, their bodies tensed for any sign of attack, untill a mass of black tentacles shot out of the surface of the water, spreading around the cavern, leaving gashes in the wall as a humanoid form slowly rose from the water, attached to the tentacles at the waist, with Kagome's arrow protruding from it's gut.

"How dare you, worthless human!" The figure howled, glaring at Kagome with glowing purple eyes that seemed to speak murder. Drab brown hair hung down it's shoulders, matted against a male's body, clinging to his greasy ash colored skin. It's teeth formed small spikes in it's mouth, fangs pointed outwards away from his mouth to protrude from it's thin lips as it spoke.

"It would seem we found an opponent!" Sango said, pulling her hiraikotsu from her back, readying for battle.

"Yeah, that's pretty lucky!" Inuyasha growled, drawing his sword as he glared at the monster before him. "I was just getting bored!"

"What is this place, demon?" Midori bellowed, her shout echoing off the walls, causing everyone to flinch and turn to stare at her. She was livid, her hands balled into fists and she trembled as she glared, her eyes slowly bleeding red and her tails lashing wildly behind her. "What is this place, and what are you doing defiling it?"

"Why should I tell you?" The monster cackled, his voice high and nasal, causing Midori's skin to crawl and her stomach to clench. Then it paused for a moment, looking at her. "Wait, you're that little fox bitch, aren't you? That Abe bastard's little Kitsune whore!"

"What do you know of Tamamo no Mae?" Kagome shouted, another arrow already drawn and aimed for the monster, the arrow glowing brightly in the dim cavern. "You speak as though you recognize my friend!"

"Tamamo no Mae? Don't make me laugh, human! I'm talking about Abe no Seimei's grand-daughter!" The monster shouted, pointing at Midori, glaring. "I'm talking about that fox bitch right there! Abe no Fujiko!"

"Abe no Fujiko..? Seimei's grand-daughter?" Midori growled, her claws drawing blood as they dug into her palms.

"What? Don't tell me you don't remember me!" The monster crooned, a demented smile cracking his face as he leered at Midori. "You and that human Abe no Seimei defeated me centuries ago! You drove me from my home before I could sufficiantly corrupt Kyoto! Thanks to you, I had to create a new home here in this worthless patch of land!"

"You.. created this place?" Kagome gasped, her bow trembling in her hands.

"Yes! Isn't it wonderful? It's the spitting image of that shrine Seimei built! I had to assume a human form while I built it, and the humans just flocked here in droves! I waited patiently in the guise of a priest while they began new lives!" The monster cackled and continued. "I waited so patiently! And then once every house was full with delicious, sweet women and children, I could wait no longer!"

"That's enough!" Midori bellowed, stepping towards the monster slowly, leaving her friends behind. Ominous looking youki was practically pouring off of Midori, forming a green aura around her, sizzling against the wet stone floor. Her voice was dangerous, like ice as she kicked off her geta. "Don't interfere. I'll kill this bastard myself."

"Come at me, Abe no Fujiko! You're nothing without your beloved Master Seimei! Just a pathetic pet dog!" The creature bellowed, and it's tentacles tore at the walls before crashing down towards Midori.

Midori drew her sword and instantly it glowed green, fox fire erupting from the blade, burning brighter than her friends had ever seen, curling upwards and searing the air as she jumped out of the way of the tentacles. She landed on one of the tentacles and ran up it's length, slashing at the monster's ugly face with all her might, but it was blocked by the hardened skin of a tentacle at the last second.

"Tch!" Midori growled, jumping away as another tentacle attempted to run her through.

"Inuyasha! We have to help her!" Kagome shouted, drawing back her bow.

"Don't Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted back with such a severity that Kagome paused and looked back at him. He stood there with his sword drawn, resting against his shoulders as he watched the fight, looking restless and just as worried as Kagome felt. "This is her battle."

"Where are you running, Abe no Fujiko?" The monster's cackling laughter drew Kagome's attention back to the battle. "Aren't you angry that you were used by that human? Trained like a puppy dog to bare your fangs only against your own kind?

Midori was now running down the length of tentacle, jumping and dodging blows as she gained speed. She ran with all her strength and when she reached the stone wall, she simply ran up it, tentacles slashing at her as she continued to run upwards. In a fraction of a second, she was on the cavern ceiling, looking down at the monster as she kicked off, sending herself flying towards the monster.

"Stop calling me Abe no Fujiko when you're neglecting your blind spot!" Midori shouted, her flaming blade poised as the monster looked up, it's eyes wide with surprise. Tentacles slashed at her back, trying to slow her, but it was too late. She brought her blade down on the monster, snarling viciously. "My name is Tamamo no Midori, and I have no master! _Kitsunebi Tsurugi!_"

Midori slashed her sword through the monster at an incredible speed, slicing it cleanly down the middle. Her descent slowed enough, she spun on the handle of her sword, now upright as she fell, looking into the monster's eyes as she slashed once again, this time disconnecting the humanoid body from the hardened skin of the tentacles at it's torso. She jumped back and landed on the stone floor before the dying monster, the expression on her face hard, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"Tamamo.. no.. Midori.." The monster wheezed, a look of shock in it's eyes as it's body split in half, each half falling to the ground as the tentacles relaxed and fell limp, causing the ground to shake slightly from the impact.

After a few moments of silence, Midori released a heavy sigh, sinking to her knees as her eyes fell closed. Her sword clattered against the ground as she leaned forward, holding herself up. Her body screamed with pain, but she had already known that it would. The tentacles had slashed up her back, leaving painful gashes in her pale flesh and ruining yet another kimono as blood soaked the thin fabric. She also felt wounds on her arms and legs, blood slowly trickling down her limbs as she fought to regain her heart's normally steady rhythm.

"Midori-chan!" Kagome cried, running to her friend and skidding to a halt when Inuyasha held out a hand to stop her. "What are you doing, Inuyasha?"

"Hey, Midori." Inuyasha said, fighting to keep his voice calm. He sheathed his sword and walked over to Midori, standing at her side as he looked down at her bloodied form. "You going to get up, or what?"

"Yeah. I'm gunna get up." Midori growled softly, picking up her sword and slowly, steadily getting to her feet, her body trembling slightly from the pain and weakness of bloodloss. But her childlike face looked hard, her jaw set with detirmination as she looked at Inuyasha. "Thanks for letting me do this on my own."

* * *

><p>Midori sat cross-legged at the top of the stone steps that led into the shrine, looking down on the dead village below with a hard and distant stare. She hadn't allowed Kagome to tend to her wounds untill the water was completely purified and the monster's corpse burned to ash. She knew that life would not come to this place untill the poison had been completely washed away. Untill then, it would remain a husk of it's former beauty.<p>

Inuyasha and Miroku had gone down to the village to bury the dead. Sango, Kirara and Shippo had gone to scout the area for any demons that may be lurking somewhere, but already the air seemed to be clearing. Kagome sat behind Midori, her kimono and hiyoku pulled down around her waist as Kagome tended to Midori's wounds, wrapping bandages around her chest and stomache. Midori hissed slightly, tensing every time Kagome swiped a cotton swab over a wound, trying to clean the blood away and apply disinfectants.

"That's what you get for being stupid and letting yourself get hurt!" Kagome said, annoyance plainly obvious in her voice. She moved on to the less important wounds next, swabbing and wrapping them with white linen bandages. "Don't even think about doing something like that again! You have no idea how worried I was!"

"Kagome.." Midori began softly, the sudden gentle tone of Midori's voice caught Kagome by surprise. "Thank you for letting me do that on my own. I'm sorry I worried you, but for some reason I just felt.. compelled. Like my blood was on fire, and it wouldn't be put out untill I fought my ancestor's past."

"Yeah well.." Kagome grumbled, feeling an impending defeat. "The next time I go back to the modern era, I'll bring a fire extinguisher back with me."

"Ow!" Midori laughed, causing a jolt of pain to shoot through her body. "Ow ow ow.. Don't make me laugh!"

"There." Kagome said, tying off the last bandage. "We got to them early, so they probably won't scar. Just.. be more careful, alright?"

"Yeah, I'll be careful." Midori smiled, pulling her shredded kimono around her and picking up her sword as she slowly stood, her legs unsteady. When she stood, she looked down at herself with an exhausted sigh. "I ruined another kimono.."

"Pretty spectacularly, actually." Kagome grinned, packing up her medical supplies and standing as well. "We might be able to find something here in the shrine.."

"No way. I don't want to travel with that stench on me. I'd rather wear this." Midori grouched, shaking her head like a little kid.

"Alright, alright. I'll ask Sango to find a village nearby and buy a new kimono for you. We'll stick to the woods as we travel, so you'll draw less attention." Kagome sighed. "Come on, let's go find the boys. They're probably done by now."

"Okay." Midori nodded and Kagome put on Sango's mask again before they descended the stone steps slowly, Midori moving carefully so she didn't reopen her wounds, walking down into the village. After a long silence, Midori spoke up. "I'll have to ask Sango to keep Miroku on a leash untill a get a new kimono. I think these gashes around my legs and chest are a little too revealing."

"Yeah, probably!" Kagome chuckled, shaking her head. "But I have a feeling Sango would like spending a little more time with Miroku."

"What about me?" Miroku asked, stepping out from behind a dilapidated hut, taking Midori and Kagome by surprise. Inuyasha followed, smirking slightly with a knowing look in his eyes as he carried two wooden shovels.

"Oh, it's nothing." Midori smirked, ignoring Miroku's letcherous gaze when he noticed her kimono was pretty much trashed.

"Quit looking at her like that!" Sango came out of nowhere and hit Miroku with her hiraikotsu, leaving him collapsed on the ground with a growing lump on the top of his head. She grumbled something and crossed her arms over her chest, pointedly not looking at Miroku.

"Hey Sango." Kagome said calmly, ignoring Miroku as he stood and dusted himself off, nursing his new head wound. "Did you find any other demons around?"

"No." Sango said, her expression changing. "It's actually too quiet out there. There wasn't a single thing- demon, human or animal for miles. It's like they all just disappeared without a trace."

"Yeah, I've noticed that too." Midori said, looking around at the valley beyond the village. The mist had started to thin and Midori could actually see the night sky above them as the clouds parted, floating away lazily. "I'm actually getting my sense of smell back now that the water has been purified and the dead have been buried... Oh wait.. Sesshoumaru's coming."

"What?" Inuyasha cried, dropping the shovels and looking around wildly.

"Inuyasha, just relax." Midori sighed, pressing a hand to her aching ribs. "I don't think I can stand too much more excitement."

Inuyasha just grumbled softly and relaxed, leaning against the wooden wall next to them and crossing his arms over his chest. Soon, a cloud strayed away from the rest, floating down towards them slowly. Midori moved over to a nearby tree stump and sat down slowly, wincing as Sesshoumaru landed in the middle of them.

"Midori, you're wounded." Sesshoumaru said, arching a brow as he looked her over, walking over to stand in front of her.

"Yeah, hello to you too, Lord Fluffy." Midori grinned weakly, amused by his vaguely annoyed reaction as she held her side and took a deep breath.

"Can you not heal yourself?" Sesshoumaru asked stiffly.

"Nope. I used up too much energy already." Midori sighed, relaxing.

"How?"

"We found out a monster had been hiding here, poisoning the water and killing the villagers. He apparently had something to do with Midori's family, and he pissed her off pretty bad.." Kagome explained, skirting around the truth carefully. "She decided to fight him on her own, and she got pretty messed up. I was just going to ask Sango if she could go find a village and buy a new kimono for Midori."

"I see. Well, a new kimono will not be necessary." Sesshoumaru suddenly held out a new kimono to Midori. It was silk, sage green with a gold silk trim, a black chrysanthemum pattern printed on the gold silk, symbolizing royalty. The green silk had no design, except for a two strange crests printed on either shoulder, near the neck.

"Whoa.." Midori breathed, looking over the kimono, her eyes wide. "Do I even want to know which emperor you had to kill to get that?"

"I did not kill for this. I had it made." Sesshoumaru sighed, still holding the kimono out to Midori. "It's for you."

"For me..? But who's family crest is that?" Midori asked, gingerly taking the kimono, careful not to dirty it.

"Yours." Sesshoumaru said, turning away slightly.

"But.. How..?" Midori gasped, looking down at the family crest on the shoulders. It was a simple crest, a single flame design with a crescent moon behind it. It was so simple, and yet it felt like it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. It brought tears to her eyes.

"Dammit, Sesshoumaru! Why'd you have to go and make her cry?" Inuyasha growled, taking a step forward and putting his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru." Midori looked up with a smile on her face even as tears spilled from her cheeks. "It's beautiful."

"Try not to ruin this one, aho." Sesshoumaru said with a slight smirk as he turned and flew away.

"I'll try!" Midori shouted after him, giggling when she saw the stunned looks on her friends' faces. She wiped her tears from her eyes and looked down at the gift she'd just been given, gently holding the light fabric in her hands as she looked at her family crest from every possible angle.

"Sesshoumaru just.." Sango began, trailing off as she and Kagome looked at Midori with identical looks of surprise.

"Yeah.. He just gave her a gift.." Kagome finished, blinking. In a matter of seconds, Kagome and Sango were at Midori's side, looking over the rather expensive looking kimono she'd just recieved.

"I wonder when Sesshoumaru grew so fond of our little Midori?" Miroku mused, looking over at Inuyasha.

"Little?" Midori's head snapped up, glaring at Miroku. "I'm older than you!"

"Nice to know that's the first thing she notices about his statement." Kagome and Sango sighed in unison, looking exhausted.

"Ne-" Midori whined suddenly, pouting like a little kid. "Can we go somewhere else now? I don't want my new kimono to smell like dead people.."

"Alright, fine. But you have to ride on Kirara." Kagome said sternly, helping Midori stand. "You're still wounded, and if you reopen your wounds because of your own carelessness, you'll bleed all over your new kimono."

"Hai, hai! Arigato, Okasan.." Midori sighed ruefully before flashing a playful grin at Kagome as the others chuckled softly.

And so the group set off with Midori riding Kirara, in any direction as long as it was away from that village. Midori sighed, hoping they would find a hotspring or something along the way before she closed her eyes and relaxed, her body slowly regaining enough energy for her to heal herself little by little.


	11. New Friends and Old Enemies

"Ow ow ow!" Midori whined, lowering herself into the steaming water of the hotspring. It was now mid-day, and thanks to Shippo's continuous whining, they had finally stopped to let Midori rest. The first thing she did was sniff out the sulphurous scent of a hotspring, grabbing a few soaps from Kagome's backpack and making a mad dash for the chance to bathe. She could smell Inuyasha, Kagome and Sango around her, so she wasn't worried about Miroku spying on her again.

Once she got used to the temperature, Midori closed her eyes and took a deep breath, sinking lower into the water untill she was completely enveloped in it, running her fingers through her hair quickly. She surfaced with a gasp, wiping her eyes and groping around for Kagome's soaps.

Midori bathed quickly, and soon her hair was clean and her skin no longer smelled like death. She had healed her wounds as best she could. The gashes in her skin had closed, but there was still some minor bruising, causing a slow, dull ache that threatened to drive Midori mad like a papercut that just wouldn't heal.

After soaking for a while, Midori pulled herself from the water reluctantly, wringing out her hair and quickly braiding it over her shoulder. She dried off with a towel and looked at the kimono that Sesshoumaru had given her. It really was beautiful. The sage green silk shimmered in the sunlight, appearing lighter and almost iridescent to match her eyes. She carefully slipped the garment over her shoulders and tied the sash, blushing at the feeling of silk against her bare skin. She'd definately have to get a new hiyoku.

Midori slipped her katana into the sash and walked over towards her friends, the sunlight streaming through the forest and the chirping birds causing her to smile. She heard a faint rustling in the grass behind her and she sighed.

"Shippo, I already told you, you're getting too old to be bathing with me." She turned slowly, looking down to where Shippo would have been standing, only to see two pairs of unfamiliar feet. She backed away slowly and tripped.

She saw a hand reaching out to her, and taken by surprise, she screamed.

* * *

><p>"Miroku, I already told you. If you go over to the hotsprings right now, Sango will clobber you again." Inuyasha sighed, sounding annoyed. Miroku had just tried to slip passed him while Inuyasha had been guarding Midori as she bathed. He was now standing at the base of the tree, looking up at Inuyasha with a pout.<p>

"But that's like going against my nature!" Miroku whined slightly before he grinned slyly. "What if it was Kagome bathing? Would you be interested then?"

"Keep that up and I'll clobber you- AUUAH!" Inuyasha had jerked up, raising a fist at Miroku and lost his balance, landing hard on the ground at Miroku's feet. "Ow!"

"Aha! Just the reaction I was expecting!" Miroku grinned down at Inuyasha, looking devious.

"Dammit Miroku! You did that on purpose!" Inuyasha growled, getting to his feet. "Come here and let me hit you!"

"Oh no! Kagome! Protect me! The mean hanyou is going to eat me!" Miroku cried jokingly, half-running away from Inuyasha.

And then suddenly, a scream pierced the forest's calm and both men stopped in their tracks, turning to where the scream had come from.

"Midori!" Inuyasha growled, drawing his sword as he crashed through the forest towards Midori, Miroku right behind him.

"MIDORI!"

* * *

><p>When Inuyasha made it into the clearing where Midori's scent was coming from, he immediately found her and skidded to a halt in front of her, snarling and brandishing his sword. Miroku ran up behind Midori and stopped, raising his staff, looking at the two intruders. Midori was wrapped up in a cocoon of white fur, her tails wrapping around her like a flower bud.<p>

"Who the hell are you, and why are you after Midori?" Inuyasha snarled, glaring. There was a woman and a man, obviously demons because of the markings on their faces. The man was tall, clad in mainland armor and a grey kimono, and the woman stood beside him, wearing a sky blue kimono, carrying a koto on her back. "Are you working for Naraku?"

"Naraku..?" The woman asked, her voice childlike. "Who's that?"

"Kotone," The man began, addressing the woman beside him, his deep voice calm and emotionless. "You should remember. That old priestess told us, remember? Midori-hime is travelling with a group to track down and kill the demon Naraku."

"Ohhh! You're right, you're right. Sorry about that, Takao!" The woman's smile beamed before she turned her attention to Inuyasha. "So? What do we do about this one? Should I just kill him?"

Before Inuyasha and Miroku could move, the woman, Kotone, pulled her hands from her sleeves and flicked her fingers and suddenly they were bound by what looked like silk threads. They couldn't move.

"Midori!" Kagome ran into the clearing, followed by Sango, Shippo and a transformed Kirara. They saw the situation and immediately stopped, staring at the two unfamiliar faces. "Inuyasha! Are you okay?"

"Hm? Inuyasha?" Kotone mused, wiggling her fingers slightly, causing Inuyasha to be pulled closer to her so she could look him over. "Why does that name sound so familiar?"

"Kotone.. " Takao sighed, placing a hand on Kotone's shoulder. "Let them go. This is the group that Midori-hime was travelling with. Relax."

"Oh? Well, alright." Kotone's voice sounded chipper as she wiggled her fingers once again and the silk strings released Inuyasha and Miroku. She grinned as she bowed to them politely. "Sorry about that! This is Takao, and I'm Kotone. As you can see, I'm a bit of an airhead!"

"Inuyasha! Is Midori okay?" Kagome ignored the woman's introduction and ran to Midori, still bundled up in the fluffy white fur of her tails. "Midori?"

"Ehhh..." Midori groaned, her tails spreading open like a flower. "Ow ow ow.. I fell and ended up landing on my back when it's still bruised... Ow.."

"Baka!" Kagome half-heartedly smacked Midori upside the head before quickly hugging her, "Don't scream like that if you're not hurt! I was worried!"

"Kagome.. Can't.. breathe.." Midori coughed and Kagome released her, sighing softly and shaking her head.

"Ahem!" Miroku cleared his throat, drawing Kagome and Midori's attention. He was pointing ahead of him, to the two strangers. "Do you think we could return to the matter at hand?"

Takao and Kotone were standing still, waiting patiently for everyone to finish up their conversation and notice them. Kotone was admiring her nails, and Takao was just looking dazed, staring off into space with a bored expression. Midori looked over at them and slowly stood, smoothing her kimono as her tails returned to normal, twitching however slightly with curiousity.

"Kotone," Takao said, his voice as emotionless as his face. "You forgot to tell them why we're here."

"Ah! You're right again! Sorry!" Kotone apologized again, smiling bashfully.

Together, the two demons walked right passed Inuyasha, ignoring him completely, and knelt down before a stunned looking Midori, their heads bowed low with respect.

"We are the envoys sent by the vassals of the Tamamo clan." Takao spoke, his words startlingly eloquent. A gentle breeze swept through the clearing, causing the sunlight to shift and dance on the two demons kneeling before Midori.

"We have been searching for you for days, Hime-sama! We have come to you in order to protect you and aid you, to follow your every command without question, and if needed, to readily sacrifice our lives for you!" Kotone finished, her voice abnormally serious as well.

"Eh..?" Midori asked dumbly, suddenly feeling faint. "EH?"

"Is something the matter, Hime-sama?" Kotone looked up, suddenly worried. "Are you ill? I'm sorry that we startled you! You aren't hurt, are you?"

"Hime..sama..?" Midori pointed to herself, her jade eyes wide with surprise. "Me..?"

"Pardon my interuption, but I thought that the Tamamo clan had been destroyed." Miroku said, walking next to Midori casually. "If I remember correctly, Tamamo no Mae was the last of the clan when she was killed by Abe no Seimei."

"Yeah." Kotone said as she and Takao stood, returning to normal. "Tamamo no Mae-sama was the last of the royal family, and only the vassals remained after her death. But an annoying imp was sent to our village with a message that Tamamo no Mae-sama had a daughter, Tamamo no Midori-hime."

"This annoying imp you mentioned. His name wasn't Jaken, was it?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah, actually. I think that was his name." Kotone said, which Takao confirmed with a nod.

"Dammit." Inuyasha growled softly, sheathing his sword and walking over to Midori stiffly. "They're telling the truth. See? Look around their necks."

Midori looked, and around their necks lay two matching silver pendants with the Tamamo family crest engraved into it. Midori looked up at them, blinking with surprise. Kotone looked Midori over appraisingly and her eyes widened when she noticed the two crests on Midori's kimono.

"Oh! Look Takao! Look look! She's already wearing the Tamamo crest!" Kotone squealed with delight and she clapped happily like a child.

"Yes, Kotone. I saw that already." Takao said simply, which earned him a scowl from Kotone. Midori watched the two of them and faught the urge to giggle. They were like a comedy routine! And then the scent of something burning returned Midori to her senses.

"Uhm.. Guys? Hate to interupt, but did anyone happen to leave meat over the campfire?" Midori asked, sniffing the air as the scent of burning meat grew stronger.

"CRAP!" Inuyasha cried, dashing off into the forest before anyone else could say a word.

* * *

><p>About an hour later, Midori, Kagome, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, and the two new faces Kotone and Takao, were sitting around a campfire, roasting a boar that Takao had caught. Shippo sat on Midori's lap protectively, looking up at the newcomers and watching them with careful eyes. Midori giggled softly and hugged him close, surprising him.<p>

"Is that your kit, Midori-hime?" Kotone asked between mouthfuls of roasted meat, gesturing to Shippo.

"No no, I'm only eighteen! I'm too young to have kids." Midori waved her off with a bashful smile.

"You're only eighteen? Eighteen YEARS?" Kotone looked baffled, dropping her food. "How is that possible? I still looked like a kit when I was eighteen years old!"

"Oh well.. I was raised by humans.. So I aged like a normal human untill two months ago.." Midori stammered, looking down at the fire with masked eyes.

"But just being raised by humans doesn't mean-"

"Kotone." Takao interrupted her. "You dropped your food."

"Ahh! Crap crap crap!" She was successfully distracted, and now she was panicking as various insects were crawling over her half-eaten slab of meat. Midori looked up at Takao, giving him a look of silent thanks, which he nodded to in reply.

"If you don't mind my asking, where exactly is your village?" Kagome asked after Kotone stopped panicking and got herself a new slice of meat.

"It's far to the East of here." Takao answered, briefly sniffing the air. "At least four days worth of walking."

"You can tell all that just by sniffing the air?" Shippo asked, looking up at Takao with wonder in his eyes. Takao just nodded, returning to his silent, stoic self.

"Our village Elder, Tomoe, asked us to protect Midori-hime untill the village was tidied up a bit. I'm afraid the castle is in pretty bad shape though. It hasn't been used at all since Tamamo no Mae-sama passed away." Kotone sighed lamentably, but she smiled soon after. "Though I'm sure we can get it fixed up and ready for you in no time at all!"

"Wait.. I have a castle?" Midori asked, blinking with surprise.

"Of course! Our village has been looking after your land in your absence, Midori-hime! We've lost quite a bit of it due to warring demon clans, but there's still plenty of land around the castle." Kotone explained happily.

"I don't know how I should feel about all this." Midori sighed, looking a little distant. "I mean, I'm happy to know that I'm not the only one in the clan, but this is all happening so fast."

"Midori-chan." Kagome smiled, placing a hand on Midori's shoulder. Midori turned to look at her friend. "Just take things at your own pace."

"Alright." Midori nodded, feeling a little better. She smiled.

"So, what's the gameplan?" Inuyasha asked. He had been listening to the conversation silently, and he looked at Midori expectantly.

"You're asking me to decide?" Midori gaped at him. "You're usually the one ordering everyone around!"

"Yeah well, I wanna know what you wanna do." Inuyasha grumbled, "So?"

"Well.. We still haven't found any jewel shards since we left Kaede's village. And that was a little over a week ago." Midori frowned slightly. Everyone seemed to be looking at her, waiting for her reply. Midori panicked a little inside, but she didn't let it show. And then she got an idea. "We haven't done a lot of searching in the East yet. How about we try that way?"

"That sounds like a good enough plan as any." Sango said with a shrug.

"I don't see why not." Miroku chimed in.

"Alright. East, it is." Inuyasha nodded. "No one has gotten any rest since yesterday, so everyone sleep. We'll leave tomorrow."

Everyone had laid down to rest. Midori had laid down at the base of a nearby tree, leaning her back up against the solid tree trunk, finding comfort in it's presence. Shippo had curled up in her lap, and she wrapped her tails around them like a blanket. Kotone and Takao were close by, facing different directions as they guarded her, but soon even they fell asleep, quickly becoming drowsy in the fragrent summer breeze.

* * *

><p>Midori slowly woke sometime after the sun had set. She hadn't yet opened her eyes, but she could still feel Shippo in her lap, curled around one of her tails as his legs twitched. He must have been running in his dream, and that thought made Midori smile. After a few minutes, he relaxed into deep sleep and Midori dreamily listened to the world around her.<p>

_buzz buzz_

Hm? What was that? For a second, Midori thought she heard the sound of wings on the breeze. Midori listened again, and the wind seemed to change directions, causing the tree at her back to sway in a different direction. The wind grew steadily stronger, and Midori heard the buzzing sound again. It roused her from her sleep slightly, and Midori finally realized that the sound was the beating of insect wings. But it was so far away that she didn't think it posed any threat to her comfort. But the wind was another story, she sighed lamentably. It was so annoying, shifting like that all of a sudden and making the tree sway in a different direction! Midori sniffed the air reflexively and froze.

"Kagura!" Midori cried, her eyes snapping open as she sat upright instantly. "Everyone, wake up! Kagura's coming!"

Everyone was suddenly startled from their sleep, Kotone, Takao and Inuyasha reacting instantly to any danger, standing and readying their weapons. When Midori stood, she sniffed the air, growling softly as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

"Midori-hime? What is it?" Kotone asked, looking over to her mistress with a startlingly serious expression, her body tense.

"An enemy is coming." Midori replied, suddenly walking out of the forest and into a nearby clearing, the whole group following behind her.

The wind had grown intense and thick grey clouds rolled overheard, blocking out the light from the moon and the stars. They needed light! Midori acted quickly, drawing her energy into one place before she whirled quickly, releasing the wave of energy in the form of fire.

"Hinote Oonami!" Midori shouted into the wind, and a wall of pale green fire spread around the field in small patches, illuminating their surroundings. Everyone seemed mildly surprised by Midori's accuracy, but said nothing as they scanned their surroundings. Midori felt a soft vibration in her chest and realized she was still growling, her sharp green eyes looking at the sky as Kagura's scent drew closer, followed by the scent of Saimyosho.

"She's here, and she's brought those damned bugs with her. Miroku, be on your guard." Midori growled, watching as a small fleck of motion in the distance began to draw closer. Everyone around her noticed it to, gathering together and preparing for battle.

"Well well! Look what we have here!" Kagura looked down at the group with narrowed eyes, her voice practically a purr as her feather floated down into the field. Midori could see the forms of dozens of saimyosho behind her, trying to hide in the treeline. "And I see that bakekitsune is still alive and well. How unfortunate."

"Shut it, wind witch. Be glad I didn't tear you to shreds when I had you between my teeth." Midori growled, drawing her sword. Her anger instantly reflected on the blade as it glowed a sharp green and fox fire formed along it's length.

"Ohh! So scary!" Kagura chuckled, holding her closed fan up to her blood red lips. "But I didn't come here to play around this time! I've come to get the miko's jewel shards and I'm not leaving untill I have them!"

"Kotone. Takao. Take care of those demon wasps back there. If even a single one gets away, it will go back to it's master and create problems for us." Midori explained, not looking back. But she felt them tense behind her, nodding. Midori crouched low, her muscles tensed, and then she kicked off, using her speed to the best of her ability as she, Inuyasha and Kagome fell into the battle positions that they had practiced so many times before. Midori quickly got behind Kagura before she could react, bringing her sword down with all her strength as Takao and Kotone ran passed her into the forest on the other side of the clearing. "The only way you're leaving here is in pieces!"

"Oh? You think that trick will work on me again?" Kagura whirled, successfully blocking Midori's sword with a malicious grin.

"Actually, I do." Midori returned Kagura's grin, the flames from her sword illuminating the triumphant smile on her face. Kagura's eyes widened, but she was slow. "Hotaru Butokai!"

Small green lights formed around Midori's sword, flying at Kagura as Midori kicked off, distancing herself as they exploded against the wind witch, merely burning her kimono slightly, but soon the pale green miasma formed around her, causing her vision to blur significantly.

"Kaze no Kizu!" Inuyasha's voice rang out within the clearing as he swung his sword, causing a bright yellow light to carve it's way across the land, barreling towards Kagura. Kagura seemed to sense danger and dodged despite her vision being blurred.

"Like hell!" Kagome shouted, firing a sacred arrow at Kagura, however she dodged once again, and the arrow buried itself into a tree uselessly.

"Fujin no Mai!" Kagura shouted, snapping her fan open and swinging it with tremendous strength. The wind howled around her, shooting outwards as cresent-shaped glowing blades flew towards Midori, Inuyasha and Kagome, but the three of them managed to dodge, only recieving minor injuries.

Kagura stood, rubbing her eyes and grumbling with frustration as her vision slowly returned. Inuyasha, Kagome and Midori surrounded her once again in a triangle formation, leaving enough space between them so their attacks wouldn't harm their allies. Kagura readied her fan, but her vision was still blurred.

"Kitsunebi Tsurugi!" Midori shouted, rolling her shoulder and bringing her blade upwards in a great arc. A green light shot forth from her sword, much like Inuyasha's Windscar attack had done, only this time Kagura had no time to dodge, and the attack grazed her, green light cutting and searing Kagura's back simultaniously. Midori allowed herself to smile, the green fire along her blade causing shadows to dance across her face. She looked evil.

"Well done, my dear." An unfamiliar voice said from behind Midori.

"What the?" Midori reacted quickly, whirling and jumping away, back to Inuyasha's side as she tensed and readied her weapon. "Who the hell is this now?"

"Naraku!" Inuyasha snarled, glaring at the man wrapped in the white baboon cloak, his face covered by a skull.

"Eh?" Midori breathed, and then she glared, her sword poised for an attack. The green fires scattered around the field flickered in the breeze, causing deep shadows to dance across the man's cloaked figure. It was then that Midori noticed something. "Inuyasha, I thought you said this guy was a demon."

"What are you talking about? He is a demon!" Inuyasha growled over his shoulder as Kagome cautiously moved over to Inuyasha's side. Miroku, Sango and Shippo were behind them fighting off demon wasps gradually, and Midori could hear Kotone and Takao in the forest behind Naraku, fighting as well.

"No, this one isn't a demon. There's hardly any scent there! He got behind me because he smells like aged wood!" Midori shifted in her strance, crouching, her eyes never leaving Naraku. "This isn't a demon. This is a doll!"

"What?" Inuyasha cried, staring at the Naraku-doll that stood before them, laughing.

"This one is far too smart for you, Inuyasha!" Naraku's laughter rang out through the clearing, making Midori's skin crawl. If she got any more tense, she would snap, so she took a steadying breath and let her body move on it's own, acting on the killer instincts within her.

"Kaze no Kizu!" Inuyasha suddenly swung his huge sword, and that yellow light tore up more of the land. However, Naraku didn't move. Instead the attack went right around him without even grazing him! Midori looked closer and saw a deep purple orb around Naraku.

"Tch. A barrier." Midori grumbled, watching as Kagome drew an arrow and fired, and at that same time, Inuyasha swung his sword once again, their attack combining together and practically decimating the land. Naraku's barrier seemed to waver slightly, but it didn't lower.

In a striking show if intelligence, Inuyasha had ran alongside the attack, and his sword glowed red as he brought it down on the unsuspecting Naraku, shattering his barrier. There was a stunned silence for a few moments as Inuyasha jumped back to Midori and Kagome. It was Midori's turn.

"Oh? So despite knowing that this form is merely a puppet, you'll still attack me?" Naraku laughed once again. "You truely wish to kill me that much?"

"Ne.. Naraku.." Midori began, her voice sweet like honey. Naraku's laughter died down as he turned his attention back to the battle.

"Yes, my dear?" He still sounded amused. Midori's mind was suddenly calm, her breathing normal, and her heart beat steady.

"Is it true?" She asked, her bangs covering her eyes. "Is it true that you manipulated Inuyasha and Kikyo? That you killed Sango's village and stole her brother from her? Is it true that you cursed Miroku to a fate worse than death as he's slowly sucked into his own right hand? Is it true that you've continuously tried to kill my friends?"

"Yes." He answered, that one single word hanging on the air, practically dripping with malignant amusement and murderous intent.

Almost as soon as he said those words, Midori pulsed with an untold amount of youki. Thousands of fireflies appeared around her, flickering in the darkness of the night as they swarmed around her. Midori let herself go, her eyes bleeding to a murderous red.

"Ne.. Naraku.." Midori repeated, her words still soft, but icy enough to chill any man to the bone. "I'm going to kill you for fucking with my family."

Midori transformed suddenly, taking Inuyasha and Kagome by surprise. She charged at the Naraku-doll, leaving trails of fox fire burning in the grass as she ran, the fireflies moving with her as if they were part of her. Tentacles ripped from the baboon cloak and shot towards Midori, but she kept barreling towards him, and to everyone's surprise, the fireflies blocked Naraku's tentacles, taking the damage and altering the tentacles' course as Midori charged ahead.

Midori dove, snapping the Naraku-doll up in her jaws and biting down with all her strength. She felt a sickening snap and with a sudden gush of disgusting tasting air, she felt it's form change into something smaller. She spit it out, flinging the little wooden doll into the grass with a frustrated growl.

Kagura groaned weakly, slowly sitting up from her position in the tall grass. Naraku's presence was suddenly gone, and Kagura could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end as the earth trembled below her with a soft thudding, sounding like drums. The thudding stopped, and the familiar tickle of fear formed in Kagura's stomache. She felt a breath of hot air against her back and she slowly turned to see the growling face of the bakekitsune that had nearly killed her. Before she could move, a huge paw slammed down on her, breaking a few of her ribs and snapping her fan in half.

"Midori-hime!" Kotone's voice called from somewhere behind Midori. "Midori-hime, we got rid of those nasty bugs like you asked!"

Kotone was bounding into the clearing, Takao following calmly behind, and they were met with a sight they had not expected. It was their mistress, their princess, transformed and pinning her enemy to the ground with a ruthless snarl. Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango and Shippo walked up to her timidly, looking down at Kagura, who looked panicked.

"Where is Naraku?" Inuyasha snarled down at the wind witch, looking every bit as merciless as Midori.

"I can't tell you!" Kagura cried. Midori pressed down harder, breaking two more of Kagura's ribs and an arm. Kagura screamed, and then started coughing up blood.

"Where is he?" Inuyasha shouted again. "If you tell me, you may yet live!"

"I can't!" Kagura whimpered, tears streaming down her face. "He has my heart! If I betray him, he'll kill me!"

Midori stopped, lifting her paw a fraction of an inch, her vicious snarling subsiding to a low, barely audible growl. Her eyes returned to their normal shade of jade green and she transformed back into her daiyoukai form, her foot resting on Kagura's stomach as she looked down at the whimpering wind witch with a look of disgust.

"Enough." Midori said, her voice holding a tone of finality. "She's telling the truth. I feel no heart within her. I have no doubt that she fears for her own pathetic life over the lives of thousands of others who have had their lives stolen from them by her master."

"Midori-hime! Are you letting her live?" Kotone gasped, looking at her mistress with wide eyes.

"There's no point now." Midori sighed, removing her foot from Kagura's chest and walking a few paces away. "Are all the saimyosho taken care of?"

"Hai, Midori-hime!" Kotone chirped, and Takao nodded, once again looking bored.

"Is it just me or is she suddenly acting like Sesshoumaru?" Miroku whispered to Sango as they watched Midori talking to her new vassals. "Something seems different about her.."

"You weren't close enough to hear Midori when she was talking with Naraku." Inuyasha said, his back to Miroku and Sango. He turned slowly, his face expressionless. "She told him she'd kill him for what he's done to us. All of us. And she called us her family."

"That's because you are my family, baka." Midori said casually as she walked up to Inuyasha and the others. Her expression seemed to have lightened considerably and she was speaking normally. "And I protect my family, no matter what."

The fox fires around the field slowly burned out, and Midori and her friends left the field, leaving Kagura in a bloody heap for Naraku to collect later. They had tended to their wounds and travelled through the night, heading east as calmly as the ragtag group of weary warriors could. Midori was strangely silent as they walked, lost in thought. Every so often, a faint growl could be heard, but it would stop as abruptly as it began, replaced by a heavy sigh.

* * *

><p>"Hey guys!" Shippo chirped, looking excited. "I smell a river up ahead! Lets take a break and have some fresh fish for a change!"<p>

"That sounds like a good idea, actually." Midori mused, thinking for a moment. "Kagome, do we still have some uncooked rice? I have an idea."

The group of friends had travelled through the night, putting a great deal of distance between themselves and the battefield where Midori had met Naraku for the first time. The sun was now high overhead, and the sky was clear, a gentle breeze rolling through the grassy hills that surrounded them. They left the path and followed the scent of wet earth and fresh water untill it led them to a field of beautiful emerald grass, wildflowers growing every few feet.

"Yeah, I think we still have some rice." Kagome answered, looking at Midori with a quizzical expression. "Why, what are you planning?"

"You'll see! Just start cooking the rice and I'll be back before it's done." Midori grinned mysteriously, promptly disappearing when the group sat down to set up camp for a while.

Inuyasha and Kagome started a fire, placing a huge pot of water in the flames, letting it heat up. Shippo and Kotone were playing with Kirara while Miroku and Sango laid out blankets around the fire for everyone to sit on. Takao, Kagome noticed, was sitting a short distance away, occasionally sniffing the air with a barely noticeable look of worry. As the water was brought to a boil, however, Takao seemed to relax, allowing his eyes to close.

A few minutes later, Midori returned, carrying an armful of things wrapped in green leaves. Without saying a word, she walked over to the boiling rice and opened each bundle, letting it's contents drop into the water before anyone could see what she had added. With that, she stood over the fire protectively, slowly stirring it as the rice and other ingredients cooked.

The smell of boiled fish, fresh ginger, onions, garlic and mountain parsley filled the air, causing quite a few stomaches to growl loudly. Midori stood over the fire with a triumphant grin as people began to crowd around impatiently.

"Now now, it's almost done!" Midori chided Shippo, as he had tried to sneak a peek into the pot yet again.

"It smells amazing, Midori-sama!" Miroku smiled with a knowing expression. "You'll make a wonderful wife someday."

Sango glared at Miroku, but Midori just chuckled and shook her head. The rest of the group had begun to crowd around the fire, looking at Midori's stew curiously as they sat on the colorful blankets Miroku and Sango had set up earlier. Midori bent over and slowly stirred the pot, an expression of pride clearly visable on her face.

"Alright! It's done." Midori announced, serving up large amounts of the stew and passing the bowls around. She served herself last and took her place sitting on a blanket before everyone began to eat.

"Midori-chan! This is amazing!" Sango exclaimed, looking down at her bowl with wide eyes.

"Where did you learn to cook like this, Midori?" Inuyasha blinked, seeming surprised. "This is almost better than Kagome's ramen!"

"Come to think of it, this is the first time we've had the pleasure of tasting Midori-sama's cooking." Miroku mused, savoring the stew.

"When I was still living at the shrine, I had to do all of my own cooking." Midori explained, her expression thoughtful. "My sister.. I mean, Anju.. Had told the servants not to cook for me. She said it was part of my training to fend for myself."

"Well, you seem to be doing just fine, Midori-hime." Kotone smiled warmly, almost inhaling her stew.

Midori felt a light tap on her shoulder and she looked up to see Takao sitting beside her, handing her his bowl with an expectant expression. Midori giggled and refilled his bowl, passing it back to him. He gave her the faintest smile before he returned to his spot a few steps away, enjoying his stew on his own.

"Hm..?" Midori stopped eating for a moment and sniffed the air. Everyone turned to look at her. "Sesshoumaru's coming this way, and he's got Jaken and Rin with him."

"Dammit.." Inuyasha grumbled, but he was silenced by a sharp glare from Midori.

"Don't ruin your meal by being grumpy, Inuyasha. Take your brother's presence with grace." Midori scolded, sounding more like a mother than ever. Setting down her bowl and walking into the open field, she watched Sesshoumaru's cloud descend. "Good afternoon, Lord Fluffy!"

"Hn." Sesshoumaru almost sighed, looking over to see a sizeable crowd of people sitting around the fire, all eating happily. "You have some new friends, I see."

"Mhm. That's Kotone and Takao." Midori pointed to them as she spoke, looking back up at Sesshoumaru with a friendly smile. "Would you and your friends like to join us? I just made stew."

"That would be fine." Sesshoumaru said, turning to Rin, Jaken, and some two headed, scaley beast behind him. "Rin, Jaken, go eat. Ah-Un, relax."

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin chirped happily, skipping over to the fire and recieving the bowl of stew that Sango served her, setting another bowl aside for Jaken as he walked over considerably slower. The two-headed dragon horse lumbered over to the treeline and began grazing.

"You're invited too, y'know." Midori smiled.

Sesshoumaru looked down at her for a moment, but turned away, taking a step away from her before he felt a delicate hand grasp his. Everyone seemed to stop eating and stared at Midori and Sesshoumaru. Midori's hand was grasping Sesshoumaru's as she smiled up at him warmly. He turned to look down at her, the slightest flicker of surprise in his eyes.

"You're not getting away that easy." Midori chided, taking on a motherly tone as she gently tugged his hand, leading him towards the campfire. To everyone's amazement, he allowed it, walking behind her slowly, his face as expressionless as ever. Midori served him a bowl, handing it to him, her smile almost painfully kind. "You can sit with us if you'd like, but I won't force you. I'll only force you to eat something, simply because I want to know what you think of my cooking."

"Very well." Sesshoumaru took the wooden bowl and Midori released his hand, sitting down on the blanket again and picking up her own bowl to finish eating. Sesshoumaru turned and walked to a nearby tree, sitting down and slowly sipping the stew.

Soon the silence was broken as merriment spread around the campfire. Everyone laughed and joked as they ate, talking animatedly with their neighbors. Inuyasha was already on his third helping of stew, and he had the funniest expression on his face while he ate. Shippo and Rin sat next to Midori, chatting about Shippo's toys and Rin's flowers, and Midori listened to every word with a satisfied smile that only Sesshoumaru seemed to notice.

After the large pot had been emptied, Sesshoumaru stood and walked over to Midori, handing her the empty bowl. Midori stood and smiled, taking the bowl and looking up at him with an expectant smile.

"It was very agreeable." Sesshoumaru said simply, turning and walking back to his spot below the tree.

"I suppose that's the best I'll get for now." Midori giggled as she collected everyone's bowls, walking down towards the river, humming a soft, nonsensical tune.

"Hm.." Miroku mused, glancing over at Sesshoumaru.

"What is it, Miroku?" Sango asked, looking at him questioningly.

"It's just odd. Last night, Midori was acting more like Sesshoumaru. And now today, Sesshoumaru is.. okay, not acting like Midori, but he's acting less like himself." Miroku explained quietly, leaning closer to Sango. He glanced over at Sesshoumaru once more, only to find Sesshoumaru's hard gaze resting on him and Miroku stopped talking, quickly changing the subject. After a few minutes, Sesshoumaru stood and left the campsite, walking down towards the river.

"Midori." Sesshoumaru's voice came from somewhere behind Midori as she knelt down over the river, washing out the wooden bowls.

"Hm?" She looked up to find him walking to her side, everything about him almost shining in the sunlight. "Oh, Sesshoumaru. What's up?"

"I heard the monk mention something about last night. What happened?" Sesshoumaru asked, sitting down next to her on the grassy riverbank.

"Oh, that." Midori's expression darkened slightly, but she continued to wash the little wooden bowls. "We had a run-in with Kagura, and Naraku chose to make an appearance."

"Is that all that happened?" Sesshoumaru looked over to Midori, noting everything about her expression and reactions. "The monk seemed worried."

"I suppose I might have been acting a little strangely. I actually talked with Naraku for a moment. I asked if he really did all the horrible things everyone says he did, and when he said yes, I just sort of snapped." Midori explained, her expression now distant. "I let go again, and I transformed. I was pretty ruthless. I almost killed Kagura again. This time I almost crushed her to death."

"And Naraku?"

"Oh, it wasn't actually him. It was just a Naraku-doll." Midori sighed, looking slightly disappointed.

"Naraku-doll? You mean a demon puppet?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Yeah. It was just a little wooden figure with a strand of hair wrapped around it." Midori frowned slightly, remembering. "It was too easy. Like he was testing me. He didn't even pay any attention to Inuyasha or Kagome, or the fact that Kagura was dying. He was only looking at me."

"Hn." Sesshoumaru opted for his usual half-interested response and Midori fell silent. She knew he was thinking things over. She could almost see the cogs turning in his head. She smiled slightly at the thought and finished washing the bowls.

Midori collected the dishes and held them in one arm, turning to walk back to camp. She had taken a few steps before she felt a hand grasp hers, and she turned to look up at Sesshoumaru, who was looking down at her and holding her hand in his. His expression seemed so intense, his amber eyes almost glowing in the sunlight like molten gold.

"I will accompany you on your journey for a while, Midori."


	12. Never Let This Go

Inuyasha had watched as Midori left the camp, carrying an armful of wooden bowls down to the river. He had listened to Miroku and Sango's conversation about Midori and Sesshoumaru, but he stayed silent, instead, choosing to evaluate his brother's actions for a change. A few minutes passed, and he watched Sesshoumaru stand and walk down to the river. Everyone else seemed to notice, and the air seemed tense with curiousity. But Inuyasha waited. And waited.

When he heard the clatter of wooden bowls hitting the ground, he suddenly stood up and marched down towards the river, only to be suddenly stopped by a hand gripping the back of his haori. He lost his balance, and when he looked up, he saw Takao standing above him.

"What the hell was that for?" Inuyasha cried, jumping to his feet and staring at the fox demon.

Takao simply shook his head, and then he turned and pointed without saying a word. Inuyasha turned and looked down by the river, and what he saw shocked him beyond words. Everyone else noticed his abnormal silence and quickly stood, shuffling up to stand at the top of the hill beside him. There, they saw Midori, with her arms wrapped around a stunned looking Sesshoumaru, her smile as bright as the sun, talking and laughing about something.

"I'm so glad you'll be coming with us!" Midori laughed, her arms resting around Sesshoumaru's torso. He seemed stiff, but he allowed her to hug him as she smiled up at him, happy tears forming in her eyes. "I guess you really did like my cooking!"

"Your cooking is not the reason I have decided to join you." Sesshoumaru said, looking down at the strange woman, noticing how her tails seemed to fluff up and swish faster when she looked up at him. "If Naraku has you in his sights, I will be there when he tries to attack you. I will be able to kill him then."

"You're a terrible liar, you know that?" Midori grinned, and Sesshoumaru looked down at her, somewhat startled. "But I suppose it's fine. You can say it's about Naraku, and I'll let it slide this time."

Sesshoumaru was surprised by how well this woman was able to read him. This silly, bright, cheerful woman, who didn't seem to have a care in the world right now, was able to read him like an open book. When she had grasped his hand earlier, he'd been surprised, though admittedly, he also felt a tiny thrill. He had hid it so well that no one seemed to notice, but she did. Why was this woman so.. Bright? Everything about her seemed to glitter and shine as she looked up at him, her jade eyes staring deeply into his own eyes.

"Ohh! Midori-hime and Sesshoumaru?" Kotone's voice interrupted the moment.

"Baka!" Kagome shouted, and Midori heard Kotone yelp. Kagome must have hit her.

The moment gone, Midori just giggled nervously and pulled away from Sesshoumaru, suddenly feeling bashful. She quickly bent down to pick up the wooden bowls that had scattered in the grass and she bowed to him politely before she hurried up the hill back to camp. Sesshoumaru had noticed the bright pink blush on her cheeks.

When Midori got back to camp, she dumped the bowls into Kagome's already over-stuffed backpack. The crowd of people had quickly gone back to sit around the fire, all pointedly not looking at her, but obviously curious and painfully silent. Midori needed a distraction.

"Shippo-chan! Rin-chan!" Midori beamed, walking over to the two children. "Would you like to go for a ride?"

"Eh?" Shippo looked confused for a moment, but then his eyes lit up. "Sure!"

"What's going on?" Rin asked thoughtfully, but she still seemed excited.

Shippo and Rin followed Midori to an open space of field and just as Sesshoumaru reached the campsite, Midori transformed into a huge white fox. Her Kitsune form was almost as large as his Inu form, and her snowy fur shimmered in the sunlight. Midori crouched down low and let Rin climb onto her back, Shippo helping the girl up. Once the two children had gotten their grip, everyone watched as Midori slowly stood, and then jumped up into the air, gliding around the camp in circles as the children whooped and cheered happily, laughing all the while.

After a while, Midori landed gently, letting the children slide down her back to land in her soft tails before she transformed back to her youkai form. She looked so happy as she and the children walked hand-in-hand back to the camp. Shippo and Rin were still praising her when they sat down on a blanket by the fire.

"You're really good with kids, Midori-hime!" Kotone smiled, watching as Midori tucked a blanket around the two sleepy children, exhausted from a good meal and a day of playing. "Though I can't help but think you're spoiling Shippo a little."

"I'm a firm believer in the fact that children should be children. Just because he fights like a man doesn't mean he is one." Midori said with a smile, sitting down between Sango and Kagome.

"Shippo would cry if he heard you say that, Midori-sama." Miroku sighed ruefully.

"Well, I just because I say he isn't a man now, doesn't mean he won't be." Midori explained, her expression somewhat distant. "He reminds me of someone I knew when I was a kid. He grew up working so hard to train and perfect his combat techniques, but when he was done with that, he and I would play for hours, just running around the shrine being kids."

"He sounds like someone you know very well, Midori-chan." Kagome said, looking at her friend.

"Yeah. Kyou-kun and I lived at the shrine together. He was the son of a different family, but he had been adopted by our family to train. He's all grown up now, and I'm sure he's a wonderful onmyouji." There was a flicker of sadness in Midori's eyes as she spoke, but she quickly replaced it with a smile.

The sun had set by this time, so everyone followed the examples of the children and laid down to rest. Midori laid near to the children protectively, her tails draped over them like a blanket as the fire gradually burned out.

Once everyone had fallen asleep, Sesshoumaru silently stood and walked down the hill to the riverbank, looking down at the moon's reflection in the water. There was a faint rustling behind him and he turned to see Midori's vassal, Takao. His face looked strangely serious, his deep black eyes glinting in the moonlight.

"What are your intentions with our princess?" He asked, his deep voice quiet, as not to alert anyone in the camp.

"I have no intentions." Sesshoumaru said simply, turning away and looking back at the water. "However, I am not playing with her, either. I have no intention of hurting your princess, physically or emotionally."

Takao seemed satisfied with his answer as he turned away, his rustling footsteps retreating back up the hill to the camp. Sesshoumaru stood there silently, staring down at the moon's reflection in the water, lost in thought. Just what were his intentions with the girl? And for that matter, what were her intentions with him? He couldn't tell what she was thinking. Everything about her was just so terribly random and chaotic that he could never grasp her motivation.

This frustrated him greatly.

* * *

><p>A young monk walked through the village quietly, listening to people around him as they gossiped and talked about their days. He made his way over to a tiny tea house and sat down, ordering himself some tea, and as he waited, he listened to the two men who were talking behind him.<p>

"Ne, did you hear?" One man said, whispering to his travelling companion. The sun was high over head, and the young monk wiped sweat from his brow.

"There was a white nine-tailed fox in a village nearby! They say that the fox blessed them with a good harvest!" The monk sighed, knowing all too well that the rumor was probably warped by word of mouth. However, the nine-tailed fox part caught his attention.

"Yeah, I heard about that!" The other man said. "But I heard from a travelling merchant that the fox left the village. He said he saw it flying through the sky like a bird!"

"Excuse me, gentlemen." The monk stood and turned, smiling politely and looking as non-threatening as possible. "But this fox, which direction did the rumor say it was heading?"

"U-uhm.. I'm pretty sure it was East." The man stammered, looking up at the smiling monk.

"Thank you very much." The monk bowed, paid for his tea and left to gather supplies for the impending journey.

The young monk had been listening to every rumor, no matter how far-fetched, and he had investigated them to the best of his ability. It had been two weeks since he arrived here in this era, and he was still searching. He had been ordered by the head of his family, a harsh woman with a no nonsense attitude, to find her runaway sister.

The sun was high in the sky, and the summer breeze cooled him. He had always hated how hot these damnedable monk's robes were, and he debated searching for a stream to cool off in. He found a small shop and quickly bought supplies and food for the journey east. Just as he was about to leave, he caught the fragence of manju and his mouth watered. The shopkeeper laughed and gave him one with a smile, and the monk left the shop. As he was searching for a quiet place to rest while he ate, a strange group of people walked by. They didn't look like average villagers, and the monk could somehow sense something was different about them.

There were three young women, each wearing kimonos, two of them carried weapons and the third carried a koto wrapped in silk. Three men walked beside them, one a monk, and the other two warriors. One of the women carried a small child in her arms.

"Kagome, I'm sorry about your clothes, okay!" It was a young man with silver hair speaking to the young woman wearing an orange and green kimono, the one who carried the child. "I'll wash them myself."

"Don't worry about it." The woman sighed, waving him off. "Lets just hurry up and get some supplies. Sesshoumaru and Midori are waiting for us at the campsite, and I don't think I'm comfortable with leaving them alone for too long."

"Oh, come on!" The woman carrying the koto laughed, her voice childish and playful. "You saw how those two were practically snuggling on the riverbank the other day! I think a little alone time would do them some good!"

"Kotone.." The second warrior said, his deep voice emotionless. "They're worried about her."

"Really? Why?" The woman asked, her expression thoughtful.

Wait.. Did that woman just say Midori? The monk's eyes widened slightly as he passed by, his staff jingling slightly as he moved. It was possible they were talking about a different woman, but something inside him told him to check it out. As he walked out of the village, he didn't see the quiet warrior turn and look back, his deep black eyes narrowed.

"Good. Now try again." Sesshoumaru's voice was emotionless as always. Midori was standing in front of him, her sword drawn and aimed for the inu daiyoukai.

Rin, Jaken and Ah-Un had gone out in search of mushrooms, nuts and wild fruits for tonight's dinner, while everyone but Sesshoumaru and Midori went to the nearby village to gather supplies. And while everyone was away, Midori had asked Sesshoumaru to teach her how to hide her tails.

"Why are we sparring while I'm just learning to hide my tails?" Midori panted, her sword wavering slightly as she looked up at the cool and calm form of Sesshoumaru.

"You must learn to keep your concentration at all times." He said simply before he charged at her. "Even in battle!"

"Eep!" Midori covered her face with her hands, closing her eyes. After a few moments of silence, she peeked out of one eye to see Sesshoumaru standing in front of her with a smirk, his hand resting upon her head casually.

"You've done good for today." Sesshoumaru said, a slight waver of pride in his voice as he looked behind her.

"Eh?" Midori turned to see that her tails were still gone, even though she had panicked when she saw Sesshoumaru charge at her. She had kept her concentration! She'd done it! She jumped up and let out a happy cheer as she instinctively hugged Sesshoumaru, who did nothing to push her away.

"You always seem so happy." Sesshoumaru's voice was smooth and perfect. Midori blushed, hearing his steady heartbeat and she looked up to find his face looking down at her. "Why is that?"

"Oh ho?" Midori grinned playfully and pulled away, trying to ignore her blush. "Trying to figure out what makes me tick?"

"Call it what you will." Sesshoumaru sighed, "I'm merely curious."

"I guess I always seem happy because I am happy." Midori said simply, sounding a little naive, but she continued. "I'm happy because I finally feel safe with everyone around me. I feel like I've finally found my place in the world, or at least gotten a little closer to it."

Her answer surprised Sesshoumaru. Had she been living all this time without feeling safe? He had heard her mention how her life had been before she had met Inuyasha and the others, and she always seemed to make light of it, like it wasn't important. Maybe there was something more to it than she admitted..

Just then, a young monk walked into the clearing behind Midori and froze. Sesshoumaru saw him, and looked down at Midori. Her gentle, happy expression had turned to something Sesshoumaru had never seen before. Fear. Sesshoumaru's protective instincts took over and he wrapped an arm around Midori's shoulder, staring the intruder down.

The young monk looked angry. He had seen Midori, he had finally found her. He didn't see her markings, or her claws. He only saw her from behind, but he knew it was her. She was standing in the clearing, looking up at a man. No, it wasn't a man. She was talking to a demon! The monk's mind raced and before he knew what he was doing, he pulled an ofuda from his sash and threw them at the demon. What happened next truely shocked him.

* * *

><p>A familiar scent reached Midori's nose as she was talking with Sesshoumaru. Fear instantly gripped her, and she couldn't move. She felt Sesshoumaru's arm wrap around her and she felt the gentle vibrations of an inaudible growl coming from Sesshoumaru as she was pressed against his chest.<p>

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and she could feel a wave of purity coming at them. Sesshoumaru would be wounded if he was hit by that! Midori's mind raced, and in a fraction of a second, she pulled herself from Sesshoumaru's grip, whipped around and wrapped her tails around him to protect him. A single ofuda pressed itself against her chest, and Midori cried out in pain. Her entire body burned as she reached up, grabbed the slip of paper and tore it off, tossing it harmlessly in the grass.

She gasped for air, and as she looked up, she saw the familiar face of her childhood friend, looking at her with shock and horror apparent in his eyes. Thoughts were jumbled up in his mind. He had finally found his childhood friend! After weeks of searching! But then he noticed her true form, and his eyes widened in shock.

"Kyou-kun.." Midori's voice was weak and trembling as she stood upright, holding her head high, looking tall and proud.

"Midori-chan..." A soft summer breeze seemed to steal Kyou's words away as their gazes locked.

* * *

><p>"Wait." Takao suddenly spoke up. They had just left a shop and were on their way to the next when Takao had suddenly stopped, his eyes widening.<p>

Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kotone looked to Takao with surprise, seeing him suddenly tense as he looked in the direction of the campsite.

"Midori-hime is in danger!" His voice sounded urgent as he turned and ran for the campsite, Kotone right beside him.

"Wait up, dammit!" Inuyasha's voice shouted from behind them, but Takao and Kotone didn't stop. They had felt the sudden burst of purifying energy, and they had felt Midori's youki suddenly drop, the scent of fear suddenly mingling with Midori's own scent.

Everyone wildly ran from the village, dodging the startled villagers along the way. They ran along the forest path, following Takao and Kotone as they left the path and crashed into the forest, running for the clearing where Midori's fear-stained scent was coming from.

"Midori-chan..!"

Suddenly, there was a crashing sound in the forest that surrounded the grassy field, and then Midori found herself surrounded. Takao and Kotone stood on either side of her, while everyone else surrounded her in a circle. They all stood staring at Kyou, who stood frozen in place. Midori relaxed her tails, pulling them away from Sesshoumaru as they fell limp for the first time.

"Who are you?" Takao's voice was frightening, it sounded hard and murderous.

"Pretty cheeky for a lowly human to attack our mistress." Kotone grinned and looked over her shoulder at Midori. "So? What are your orders, Midori-hime?"

"Wait." Midori said, placing a hand on Takao and Kotone's shoulders and, much to their surprise, she took an unstready step forward, walking ahead of them.

"Midori-chan!" Kagome sounded worried, but Midori ignored her. Midori walked forward untill she was only an arm's-length away from Kyou and she stopped.

"Kyou-kun." Midori's voice was faint, but everyone heard her. She looked at Kyou, making no attempt to hide what she was, her nine snowy white tails swaying behind her in their full glory, her swirling crimson markings almost glowing in the harsh sunlight. Her jade eyes locked on Kyou's, unmoving and unwavering. "What are you doing here?"

"Did she just say Kyou?" Sango sounded worried.

"Yeah.. Do you think that's the same guy she was talking about the other day?" Kagome answered, her voice hushed. Midori could feel that everyone was staring, waiting breathlessly for something to happen, tensed and battleready.

"Anju-sama sent me.." Kyou said after a moment, staring at Midori and taking in her appearance. His expression changed from shock to a cold, stony mask. Midori knew that look well. He was angry. "Anju-sama sent me to bring you home."

"My home is no longer with Anju, Kyou-kun." Midori said shortly. "I cannot go back."

"What happened to your necklace, Midori?" Kyou asked, and Midori stiffened, finally looking away. She tried to mask her emotions, but for a fraction of a second, fear and sadness flickered in her eyes.

"Why do you care?" Midori scoffed, folding her arms over her chest.

"Because I know that necklace sealed your demonic abilities." Kyou answered. Midori looked up at him sharply, her eyes wide. "Yeah. Anju-sama told me everything. She told me that our clan is cursed, and that a demon would be born into our line. Our proud clan is descended from Abe no Seimei, the greatest onmyouji to ever live! If word got out that our heritage included demons, we'd be a laughingstock! So when she got your phone call, she sent me to here to come find you and bring you-!"

Before Kyou could finish speaking, a resounding slap echoed through the forest. Kyou brought a hand up to his aching cheek, looking down at Midori, shocked. She glared up at him with tears pouring down her cheeks. Every one of Midori's friends stared on, watching the dramatic scene play out.

"BAKA!" She shouted. "If you knew, you should have told me! I had to piece together the truth from whispers and rumors I had heard my whole life! Every time I asked why my family hated me, Anju would beat me and lock me away! I was put through hell! Every month, the cleansing ceremonies, all the pain of feeling my youkai blood being burned away and never knowing why it hurt so much! I had to live with my own sister calling me a monster and telling me that I was the reason our mother died! My own father and brother left the shrine, saying they would kill me if they saw me again! Well, let me tell you something! _I am not a monster!_"

"You asked about that necklace I was forced to wear every day? I purified it! It held the souls of my anscestors within it! Every single woman of the Abe line who'd been born as a demon! The soul of your hero, Abe no Seimei, was inside the magatama as well! If I had kept wearing that necklace, _it would have killed me!_ Just like it killed _every_ other demon in our family!"

Midori was trembling with the force of her tears, her hands clenched into fists as she shouted at Kyou, her words echoing in the air as she railed on, never stopping for a moment. Kyou stood there, looking at his childhood friend, listening to her words while a sense of growing dread filled him. He had never known.

"And you know what the worst part is?" Midori growled, looking up at him, her jade eyes burning like fire. "You never even asked about the bruises! You never asked when I disappeared for _days!_ You never asked why I would burst into tears whenever people would whisper about me behind my back! _You were my best friend!_"

Midori stopped, gasping for air, panting heavily from shouting with all her might. She had just let everything out, not caring who heard or what they thought. She was _angry_! Tired of being neglected and abused, only to be chased down when she ran from the captors that called themselves her family and friends.

"Well, _no more!_" Midori growled, her lowering her voice. "I will not be bound by the chains of that woman _any longer_! I have found people who are true friends! They are my true family! And for your information, our "Proud Abe family line" was already tainted by demon blood! Your childhood hero Abe no Seimei was a half-demon, you idiot! My home is here! Now _go back to your own time!_"

With that, Midori turned her back on him, walking back to the group of people, humans and demons alike, who had come to her aid, calling her friend and princess. Kyou watched her go, feeling defeated when she had not landed a single blow. He was defeated by her words alone.

Midori walked back into the center of her friends. They lowered their weapons and turned to her, looking on in shock at the state she was in. She suddenly looked small and fragile, her eyes red as tears streamed down her cheeks, trembling as she gripped her arms and hugged herself. She looked like she was about to collapse at any moment, and she had the face of a woman who had just lost everything.

"That bastard!" Inuyasha snarled, turning to face Kyou. "I'll kill him!"

"Leave him.." Midori's voice was weak and hoarse from shouting. Inuyasha's shoulders fell, his ears flattening slightly, but he sheathed his sword and turned back to tend to Midori.

Midori felt herself being picked up, cradled by a pair of strong arms and she looked up to see Sesshoumaru looking back at her, his expression unreadable.

"Come." Sesshoumaru said, addressing the group as he turned and walked from the field, carrying the tearful Midori in his arms. His tone held a sense of finality that no one could argue against, and they followed him into the forest.

None of them looked back at the monk, who sank to his knees in defeat, a single tear escaping from his eyes.

* * *

><p>After Midori's meeting with Kyou, Sesshoumaru had found Rin and Jaken, and they left the forest. The whole group took to the skies on Sesshoumaru's cloud, and they floated far away, following the eastern winds. No one said a word when Rin asked what had happened, and Jaken could tell by Sesshoumaru's mood that it was best not to even try. When they landed, they were in a field of flowers that seemed to stretch on for miles, and the group silently went about setting up camp.<p>

Inuyasha and Kagome built a few campfires while Sango and Miroku laid out the blankets. Kotone and Takao went in search of food, bringing back a large amount of fish and a huge wild boar for Kagome and Sango to cook, and Shippo and Rin brought back buckets of water before running off into the field to play.

Sesshoumaru and Midori were sitting a short distance away in silence. Midori had stopped crying, but she hadn't spoken since they left Kyou. In a remarkable display of compassion, Sesshoumaru had draped his fur pelt around her shoulders and told her to rest. He brought her food when it had finished cooking and she ate slowly, staring into the distance with an unreadable expression. Soon, the children fell asleep, and Midori stood, walking to the fire with Sesshoumaru following behind.

"I suppose after today's fiasco, you all deserve an explanation." Midori said stiffly as she sat down. Everyone fell silent and turned their eyes to her, their expressions ranging from solemn to took a deep breath and closed her eyes, forcing herself to relax before she spoke. "I know some of you already know, so just let me explain things for those who don't. I just want everyone to know everything before we continue travelling together. It's the least I can do."

She told them everything. What she knew about Abe no Seimei and Tamamo no Mae, and about the curse that plagued her family. She told them about how her mother had died during childbirth, and her older brother and father had left claiming that Midori had killed her mother, saying they would kill her if they ever saw her again. She had been left alone with her sister. She told them about how her sister had trained her, teaching her how to fight and about her spiritual abilities.

Her sister had been training her like an unwanted dog to fight her own kind, much like Abe no Seimei had done with his grandchild before he died. She told them of the rumors and frightened whispers that she had heard all around her as she grew up, and about the abuse her sister had inflicted upon her every time she asked any kind of question about it. Lastly, she told them of the shrine that could take a person through time.

"But what I still don't understand is why your sister sent you back to this era in the first place?" Kagome asked, her face lowered into a frown.

"It's because the cleansing pool doesn't exist in our time." Midori explained, her expression blank. "The seal on my youkai blood was weakening, and the cleansing ceremonies had stopped working. The cleansing pool was supposed to wash away my demonic abilities for months, so long as I kept the necklace on. After I had purified myself, I was supposed to go back to my own time for my orders. She would have sent me back to this time, to slaughter as many demons as I could. But by that time, I knew what I was, and when I saw Kagome, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku and Shippo.. They all looked so happy together, even though some where humans and some were demons."

"When Kagome asked me to come with her, it was like someone reaching out to me, trying to show me a different way, and I took that chance, forsaking my human family. During the months I've been here, I've learned a lot about myself, and about all of you. And I wouldn't trade that time for anything." Midori admitted, her voice quiet. Everyone looked quite taken aback, surprised by Midori's frank confession.

"I decided something today." Midori spoke as she raised her head, her expression firm and unwavering. "I've decided to fully accept being a youkai, and live out my life here. As Tamamo no Midori."


	13. The Bossy Princess

"I've decided to fully accept being a youkai, and live out my life here. As Tamamo no Midori."

Midori was sitting on a blanket in a field of flowers that seemed to stretch on as far as she could see. The sun had long since set, and the crescent moon was high in the sky, casting a faint blue glow over the land. Midori held her head high, looking at her friends with an unwavering determination. There was a short pause, and everyone seemed surprised by Midori's sudden change of attitude. Only a few hours ago, she was crying her eyes out.

"You.. You really mean it?" Kotone looked at Midori, her eyes misting with tears. She looked unbelievably happy. Midori noticed a few crestfallen expressions among her friends.

"Yeah. I really mean it. But.." Midori began, sighing and softening her expression. "Only after we find all the jewel shards. I still have to kick Naraku's ass for fucking with my friends!"

"Whoa! Language!" Kagome scolded, but she was giggling, looking relieved.

"Hai hai. Arigato, -kachan!" Midori grinned and stuck her tongue out at Kagome, and just like that, the dark cloud that had hung over the group disappeared.

"Since we're travelling east anyway, do you think we could stop by our village?" Kotone asked, looking hopeful. "I'm sure Elder Tomoe would love to meet you, Midori-hime! And we should at least tell her what the situation is."

"I'd like that, actually. I've always wondered what your village would be like." Midori mused absentmindedly, her tails swishing around behind her.

"We're already in the Western Territory." Takao spoke up, looking bored as usual. "The castle is just a day's walk from here. Faster if we flew."

"Oooh! Really?" Kotone giggled excitedly, happy to be going home.

"Midori-chan?" Kagome began, placing her hand over Midori's. "Are you sure you're alright now?"

"Yeah." Midori smiled, looking down at Kagome's hand, taking it in her own with a gentle squeeze. "I'm fine now. I've found the path that I should follow, now I have to follow it wherever it may lead."

"You never cease to amaze, Midori-sama." Miroku sighed, shaking his head. The rest of the group nodded in silent agreement while Midori looked around with a clueless expression.

"Ne, Kotone-chan." Midori looked to Kotone, who looked up from admiring her nails. Midori pointed to the koto that was sitting next to her. "How come you haven't played that yet?"

"Oh, this?" Kotone smiled, placing a hand on her silk-covered koto. "I haven't played in a long time. Not since Tamamo no Mae-sama's last visit to the castle."

"Eh? That long? Why?" Midori asked, her eyes wide as she gaped at Kotone. "But that must have been 400 years ago! You don't look a day over 20!"

"Sometimes I forget you were raised by humans, Midori-hime!" Kotone giggled, "It hasn't been all that long for me. It only seems like a few years, when in reality it's been a few hundred. Time isn't something we demons pay attention to."

"Gah! This is going to take getting used to!" Midori sighed heavily and let herself fall back into the lush grass behind her, much to the amusement of the others.

"Human lifespans are so short." Inuyasha grumbled, folding his arms across his chest. "Only eighty or ninety years at best."

"Yeah, but in those eighty or ninety years, we humans do a lot of living!" Kagome chimed in defensively. "Though I do feel envious sometimes."

"Oh, well there's a way for a human to have the life-span of a demon." Kotone smiled, not noticing Inuyasha's panicked look.

"Really? What is it?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha looked like he was about to faint.

"You just have to mate with a demon." Kotone finished with a chipper smile.

"Eh..?" Kagome's eyes went wide and a blush crept onto her cheeks.

"She means marry, Kagome. Not _that_." Midori said dryly as she sat back up, brushing flower petals from her hair. "Geez. Talk about innocent."

"Midori-chan!" Kagome cried in a scolding tone. Midori just shot Kagome a wicked grin.

"Hmm?.." Miroku leaned over and looked at Midori with a letcherous grin. "If you say Kagome is so innocent, does that mean that you've... GACK!"

"Stop talking, Ero-monk!" Sango growled, placing her hiraikotsu next to her after hitting Miroku over the head with it.

"Oh? Are you curious, Miroku?" Midori grinned at Miroku in such a way that Sango froze. "To answer you're question.. Nope, not a bit! I just knew you wouldn't be able to resist asking, and I wanted to comfirm something!"

"Midori-chan! That's so cruel!" Miroku spluttered, sitting up and nursing the bump on his head. Midori was looking pointedly at Sango's blushing face with a wicked grin.

The conversation continued for a few hours more before everyone began yawning and decided that it was time to sleep. Midori stretched out by the fire, wrapping her tails around herself and looking up at the starry sky before she slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>Midori woke to the feeling of a cool wetness rolling down her cheek and she groaned softly before her sleep-addled mind recognized the scent of rain. Quick as lightning, Midori sat bolt upright, grabbing a handful of nearby leaves. She held her hand over the leaves and focused her energy into them, causing them all to grow to the size of small umbrellas before she stood.<p>

"Oie! Everyone wake up!" Midori cried, running over to the children to cover them from the rain. "It's raining!"

Sesshoumaru was already awake and he stood near the children, so Midori shoved two umbrella-leaves into his hand and quickly woke the others, handing them each an umbrella-leaf just as the heavens opened and rain began to pour down on their campsite.

"Whoa! Lucky!" Kagome breathed, holding the huge leaf over her head as she packed her things before they got drenched.

"Midori-hime, where did you find these leaves?" Kotone blinked with surprise, looking up at the leaf that Midori had given her.

"Oh, I just picked them and forced them to grow." Midori replied simply, shrugging. "But never mind about that, we've gotta get out of here. Rain isn't good for humans."

"Hai, Midori-hime!" Kotone smiled, and she and Takao helped clean up the camp as Midori walked a short distance away and transformed.

"Oie oie, you're letting us ride on your back again?" Inuyasha snorted with a stupid grin. "And here you said you weren't a horse!"

Midori turned and shot a warning glare to Inuyasha as the others began to climb onto her back, save for Sesshoumaru, Jaken, Rin and Ah-Un. Once everyone had climbed on, Midori jumped into the air as the rain started to pour down harder. Sesshoumaru summoned his cloud and both groups were flying east.

"Midori-hime!" Kotone shouted over the sound of the wind and the rain. "Follow the scent of woodsmoke and clay! That's our village!"

Midori rumbled in an affirmative response and she, followed by Sesshoumaru, flew east, following the scent of woodsmoke and clay. Midori cast a sideways glance at Sesshoumaru as he sat on his cloud, carefully holding the umbrella-leaf over his head, looking annoyed, and Midori couldn't help but be amused. Sesshoumaru glanced over at her, and he seemed to know what she was amused about, causing him to sigh faintly.

The scent of woodsmoke and clay was drawing closer and Midori could see a miniature village up ahead. The houses seemed so much smaller than houses for humans, and Midori could smell dozens of foxes coming from the village. Then, a shape loomed through the mist and rain and Midori looked passed the village to see a huge castle. Bamboo scaffolding had been set up on all four sides, and two of the walls seemed cleaner than the others, the cracks running throughout the white stone walls half-repaired.

The village had drawn close now, so Midori and Sesshoumaru descended near the outskirts, landing in the knee-high golden grass. Her passengers slipped off of her back, and Midori was overwhelmed with the scent of foxes, causing her to look up towards the village.

Dozens upon dozens of foxes, standing on their hind legs, wearing kimonos and carrying parasols, walked out of their huts and down towards the outskirts of the village, where Midori and the others stood. Midori was still in her Kitsune form, and they looked up at her with wide eyes, as if in awe.

"Yo! Look who we brought back with us, everyone!" Kotone beamed, gesturing behind her at Midori.

Midori lost her concentration on her Kitsune form and changed back to her daiyoukai form, looking around at the fox-villagers with wide eyes. An elderly looking fox, a female judging by her kimono, fought her way to the front of the crowd, gasping when she saw Midori, her yellow eyes widening.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I'm probably not very presentable!" Midori stammered, looking down at herself. She quickly smoothed out her kimono, which hardly had any effect, and she pulled her sopping wet hair away from her face a bit. Midori was drenched and shivering, smiling nervously as she tried, in vain, to improve her appearance. "I just didn't want everyone to get wet, so I guess I didn't think!"

"Kotone.." Takao spoke up. "No one knows who she is. Most of the villagers are too young to remember what Tamamo no Mae-sama looked like."

"Really? Well, crap." Kotone sighed before she took a few steps towards the gathering crowd, cupping her hands around her mouth as she shouted into the village. "May I present to you... _Tamamo no Midori-hime, Lady of the East!_"

"Is it really her?"

"She certainly doesn't look like much.."

"That can't be her. Kotone is probably just playing a prank on us."

"Enough!" The elderly fox shouted suddenly, noticing Midori's crestfallen expression. The elderly fox turned to face the crowd of foxes, her eyes looking stern. "This _is_ Tamamo no Mae-sama's child! Do you not see her markings? They are the markings bestowed upon the Tamamo clan by Amaterasu herself!"

A murmur flowed through the crowd as the elderly fox-woman snatched away a red paper parasol from one of the villagers and walked over to Midori, sheltering her from the rain.

"Forgive them, my Lady. They are young and foolish. I am the village Elder, Tomoe." Tomoe introduced herself, bowing politely. "If I may be so bold, would you kindly pull your hair back so they may see your markings?"

"Of course." Midori smiled and bowed politely in return. Tugging her wet hair over her shoulder and lifting her bangs away from her face, her markings were revealed. She exposed a hollow circle on her forehead that stretched down into a point at her nose, reaching up into her hairline at the top. Her eyes were lined by the same red color, a thin streak just below each eye as well as on her eyelids.

"You see?" Tomoe turned to look at the crowd. The murmurs slowly died down and one by one, each of the villagers bowed to Midori, lowing their heads.

"Eh? You don't have to be so formal with me right now!" Midori cried, sounding a little panicked, but she genuinely sounded worried. "It's pouring out here! I don't want anyone to get sick because of me, so hurry on home and stay dry!"

"Ah, you don't have to worry so much, Midori-hime!" Kotone grinned and walked to Midori's side as the crowd, looking somewhat surprised, dispersed back to their homes. "We're a hearty village! A little rain won't bother us."

"Speak for yourself, child." Tomoe chuckled. "This weather does not agree with my old joints at all. Come, let us go to the inn. I think that is the only building large enough for your companions."

The group followed Tomoe to the largest building in the village and stepped inside, out of the rain. They had been provided clean towels and were led to the largest room. Tomoe had explained the situation to the innkeeper, a young-looking fox with brown eyes, and soon large amounts of hot food and tea were brought up, along with a sizeable jug of sake for Sesshoumaru. They had all changed into dry kimonos, and were sitting in a circle around a small fire.

"Well, that was an interesting welcome." Inuyasha grouched, sitting back after he had finished eating.

"Inuyasha, don't be rude." Kagome sighed, taking a sip of tea.

"I really must apologize again for their behavior, my Lady." Tomoe said, bowing again. "They aren't usually like that."

"Oh, don't worry. I can understand. It was rather sudden, after all." Midori smiled bashfully, not really knowing what to do. "And you don't have to be so formal with me, Tomoe. I'm afraid I'm not used to this sort of extravagent treatment."

"If I may be so bold, my Lady, where have you been all this time? It's been almost 450 years since Tamamo no Mae-sama passed away." Tomoe looked at Midori inquiringly.

"I'm afraid it's a rather long story." Midori sighed. She set down her cup and began her explanation, leaving out a few details about her human family simply because she didn't want to upset Tomoe. During the conversation, Kagome had left the room with Shippo and Rin because they had gotten bored. Tomoe seemed to handle Midori's story with grace, including the part about being from the future.

"And once it started raining, we decided to come here. Kotone looked homesick, after all." Midori ended her story with a friendly, albeit nervous, smile as she picked up her cup again.

"My! It sounds as though you've been rather busy. I'm glad you're alright, my Lady." Tomoe smiled maternally, sitting back on her zabuton. "If you truely wish to seek out this demon, Naraku, then you have my blessing. However, I do wish you would consider taking more of our warriors with you."

"Oh no, I couldn't put anyone else in danger. I'm already worried enough with all of my friends with me." Midori shook her head politely, but firmly. "I just have to get strong enough so that I can protect them should they need it."

"In that case.." Tomoe seemed lost in thought for a moment before she spoke. "I think I may have something that might be of use. However, we'll have to wait untill tomorrow, when the rain stops. It's in the castle, and it's not safe to go there at night."

"What do you mean?" Midori asked, curious.

"Oh, it would seem that demons have taken a liking to the castle since it's fallen into disrepair." Tomoe sighed, looking forlorn. "They aren't so bad during the day, but at night there are hundreds of them. All rat demons."

"Well, I should probably do something about that." Midori said with a sly smile as Kagome returned with Shippo and Rin. "Kagome, Shippo, our training will resume tomorrow morning. We're going to the castle!"

"Really?" Shippo's eyes widened and a goofy smile played across his face.

"Oh, gods.." Kagome groaned faintly, slumping over slightly with a look of defeat.

"Jaken." Sesshoumaru addressed the imp sitting behind him. "You will accompany them. Take Rin with you, and let her watch. She must learn how to defend herself if she is to survive in this world."

"H-h-hai, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken bowed lowly, his pointed beak nearly touching the tatami mat flooring.

"Hm.. Sesshoumaru.." Midori turned to him, her expression curious. "If you'd like, I can teach her Aikido. It's a form of hand-to-hand self-defense. I'm already teaching Kagome-chan and Shippo-chan."

"Hn." Sesshoumaru glanced at Rin, who was looking up at him with a hopeful expression and glittering eyes. Sesshoumaru caved. "For a while, then."

"Alright!" Midori cheered, smiling brightly as she looked at Kagome, Shippo and her newest student Rin. "Tomorrow will be Double Lesson Day! We'll all go to the castle and fight the rats while Rin watches from a safe distance. The use of weapons is forbidden! And then later, we'll meet in the field, and we'll run through some Aikido stances!"

"How can you be so cheerful about that?" Kagome whined, but the children cheered and quickly took their seats next to Midori, talking animatedly with her about her lessons.

"_She is so much like her mother._" Tomoe thought, casting a sideways glance at Midori, her eyes friendly and warm.

* * *

><p>Midori woke early, before sunrise, and she quickly dressed, tying her hair back with a leather cord. She left the room, walked down the hall, down the steps and into the entrance of the Inn. The innkeeper, a very young orange fox wearing a blue kimono, was sitting on a small wooden stool with his legs propped up on the table before him, snoozing lightly.<p>

"Good morning." Midori said cheerfully, fighting the urge to chuckle as the Innkeeper sat bolt upright, his eyes wide.

"Oh! Good morning, My Lady!" He said hurriedly, bowing low. "What can I do for you this morning?"

"Actually, I have a rather odd request." Midori smiled mysteriously. "Would you mind if I used the kitchen for a little while? I'd like to prepare a meal for my friends before they wake up."

"Oh, of course! Right this way!" The innkeeper stammered, quickly standing and leading Midori to the small kitchen. "Is there anything I can get you?"

"Hm.." Midori quickly looked over the small kitchen, checking supplies and utensils with a sharp eye before turning to smile at the innkeeper. "No, everything I need is right here. Thank you. I'll be out of your way soon."

The innkeeper excused himself, bowing politely as he left the room. Though he was curious, so he stood just outside the door, peering inside as he watched Midori turn, her expression determined. She set right to work, stocking a fire and collecting ingredients, washing and preparing them with a practiced speed that surprised the spying innkeeper. Very soon, the scent of delicious food and fresh tea permeated the air, and Midori sat back with a smile, admiring her work. The food she had prepared almost sparkled with perfection, and she could hear the Innkeeper's stomache growl from the doorway.

"Would you like some?" Midori asked with a smile as she turned to look out the doorway. "I seem to have made too much, and I can't let my students over-eat or they'll be sluggish during training."

"Are you sure it's alright?" The Innkeeper peered through the doorway, his eyes wide and misted with tears, his expression almost comical. "It smells so wonderful!"

"Hai, hai!" Midori laughed, setting aside a serving for him on the rough wooden table in the kitchen and pouring him some tea. "There's no need to hold back. Go ahead and eat."

The innkeeper scampered into the kitchen and quickly sat down at the table. Suddenly remembering his manners, he bowed to Midori and thanked her profusely before he started to eat, his comical expression changing to one of pure bliss. Midori giggled and set to work again, packing away the meal in a tall black laquer box, each tray designated for a different person. She wrapped up the box with a purple cloth she found and quickly washed the dishes before the food cooled. The innkeeper finished his food with a happy sigh and then turned his attention to Midori, who was smiling mysteriously at a cooking pot and serving ladel.

"Would you mind if I borrowed these for a moment?" Midori asked, holding up the items with a playful grin. "I'll return them in a few minutes."

"Well, I don't see why not.. But what do you need them for?" The Innkeeper asked, looking curious. "Are you going to make stew next?"

"Nope!" Midori giggled, turning and leaving the room with a wide grin. "Come with me if you're curious!"

The Innkeeper quickly stood, gathering Midori's prepared food, and he scampered to keep up with her as she ascended the stairs and walked down the hall to where her companions were sleeping. The sun had risen, and light was beginning to seep into the hallway through the shoji-screens on the windows. The birds were fluttering around outside, singing a happy tune as they went about their day, and Midori could hear the villagers chatting outside as they opened their shops and set to work.

Midori grinned, standing between the two rooms, their doors closed. Midori could hear the sound of their inhabitants sleeping, their breathing even and relaxed. Kagome and Shippo were sleeping in the room on her left, and Jaken, Rin and Sesshoumaru were in the room on her right. She knew, however, that Sesshoumaru was not asleep, so she didn't feel bad in the slightest for what she was about to do. Taking a deep breath, she raised the cooking utensils and began drumming out a cheerful beat.

"Hai! Good morning! Good morning! It's time to wake up!" Midori sang in a happy tune. She could hear the startled gasps of the sleepers, followed by annoyed groans and she continued with a glowing grin on her face. "It's time to wake, everyone! It's time to train!"

The innkeeper watched the spectacle in awe as Midori continued her little cheer in the hallway. Her feet tapped out a melody on the wooden floor that matched her percussions on the pot, and she almost looked like she was dancing. After a few minutes, Jaken and Rin's door burst open, and the little imp glared daggers up at Midori, the telltale signs of sleep still apparent on his grumpy face. He had his strange staff pointed right at Midori.

"How dare you wake us in such a manner!" He cried, glowering at Midori.

"Ah, you're up! Good morning, little toad!" Midori grinned playfully, quickly swiping Jaken's staff out of his hands. "You won't be needing this untill we get to the castle, so it's confiscated!"

"Ohayo, Midori-sama." Rin murmured sleepily as she rubbed her eyes with her little fists. She quickly woke however, once she saw Midori's motherly smile.

"Ohayo, Rin-chan!" Midori looked down at the girl, who broke into a bright smile when Midori lovingly patted her head.

"Midori-chan, what's with all this noise?" Kagome opened the door to her room, groaning as she tied the red ribbon on her uniform. Shippo was sitting on her shoulder, already looking wide awake, although his hair was a little messy.

Midori turned to smile and wish them a good morning when she felt a firm hand on her shoulder. She turned, surprised, to look up at the person who had requested her attention. She looked up into a pair of sparkling gold eyes. It was Sesshoumaru.

"Oh! Ohayo, Sesshoumaru." Midori smiled brightly, and she she his eyes widen a fraction before they settled back to his normal emotionless composure. He simply stared at her for a while, everyone around her silently watching with bated breath. Midori suddenly noticed a flicker of worry in his eyes and she knew what he wanted to say. Her smile changed from that of cheerful amusement to a smile of friendly reassurance. "Don't worry. I'll watch over Rin."

"Hn." Sesshoumaru said simply and turned, walking back into his room and quickly snapping the door shut just as his companions had scurried from the doorway.

"Well!" Midori turned to look at her friends, her smile returning to normal. "Now that you're all awake, we should get going!"

The group mumbled in agreement and followed Midori down the stairs and out the front door of the Inn. They gathered around Midori as the Innkeeper handed her the cloth-wrapped bento box with a polite bow, which she returned happily before she turned to Kagome.

"Kagome-chan, you mentioned you were in track, right?" Midori asked, the weak rays of sunlight filtering through the thinning clouds in the early morning. Jaken, Rin and Shippo looked at each other as if to ask what she meant.

"Yeah, I took track in school. Why?" Kagome asked, looking confused.

"Do you think you could teach Rin and Shippo the stretches you used to warm up? We'll be jogging to the castle." Midori grinned, her expression holding a sort of wicked amusement.

Kagome groaned softly, but she did as she was asked. Kagome, Rin and Shippo all lined up outside the Inn, and the curious villagers watched the spectacle as all three of them began stretching. Midori stood and watched with a playful grin, and even Jaken looked mildly amused, untill Midori made him do it too. After the stretches had been concluded, Midori, Kagome, Rin, Jaken, and Shippo all lined up in the road, with Midori at the lead.

"Alright, lets get going!" Midori said cheerfully, and then the odd procession was off, jogging down the dirt roads of the village and casually weaving around a few startled villagers. A few of the villagers stopped and stared, some with surprised expressions, others looking amused, commenting on the antics of their new leader and her friends. Rin and Shippo laughed happily as they jogged, Jaken whined and pouted, while Kagome and Midori just chuckled and continued on.

The group left the village, travelling the short distance up the hill to the castle. The group jogged through the huge busted gate to the castle and up into the inner grounds where the castle stood, tall and ominous in it's current state of disrepair. They came to a stop beneath a withered sakura tree and Midori set down their things with a happy smile, letting the others catch their breath.

"Alright, now that we're here.." Midori began, walking over to stand below the withered tree as she held her hands up to it's bark. "I suppose we should have our breakfast now."

Midori took a deep breath and sent her energy radiating into the sakura tree. The others watched with some surprise as the tree suddenly seemed to come back to life, new green leaves sprouting from it's skeletal branches and unfurling right before their eyes. Flower buds formed and quickly bloomed in the early morning sunlight, pale and shy as they burst forth from their cocoons. The ground below the tree began to shift slightly, and a veil of grass began to shoot from the ground, spreading outwards slightly in a circle around the tree.

"Wow, Midori-sama!" Rin cried, her eyes wide with childlike awe. "You can bring flowers and trees back to life?"

"Yeah, I suppose I can." Midori sighed, letting her energy to fade with a weary smile. She turned back to look at her friends, looking slightly exhausted. "To be honest, I didn't think that would actually work."

"Midori-chan, are you okay?" Kagome asked, looking a little worried as Midori sat down in the grass beneath the thriving sakura tree.

"I'm okay, Kagome. Now come on, everyone. Let's have breakfast." Midori smiled, unwrapping the black laquer box and passing out trays and chopsticks as everyone sat down around her. "Enjoy and eat quickly. We've got a fair bit of training to do."

Everyone sat down and began to eat, laughing and joking as they enjoyed the summer morning breeze, laced with the scent of sakura blossoms. They all marvelled over how delicious Midori's meal had been, and Midori just smiled bashfully. Once they had finished eating, they packed away the black laquer box and stood, stretching happily when Midori spoke up.

"Alright then. Jaken, I want you and Rin to hop up into the sakura tree and watch while Kagome, Shippo and I take care of these rats. You'll be hidden up there, and the smell of the new flowers will mask your scents." Midori said, her tone bidding no arguements as she helped Jaken and Rin up into the low branches of the tree. She gave Jaken his staff back after they had found a comfortable place to sit. Midori looked up into the tree and found two sword-sized branches and plucked them away, tossing each to Kagome and Shippo.

"Kagome, Shippo, I want you to try what we practiced last time. Channel your energy into these sticks." Midori instructed, jumping down from the tree and walking over to the pair.

"But what will happen to these branches?" Shippo asked, looking at the flowered branch suspiciously. "Won't mine just burn up with my fox fire?"

"No, it shouldn't. If your energy is within the branch, it will protect it from burning. It's like when you hold your fox fire in your hand." Midori explained, taking the tone of the patient teacher. She watched as Kagome and Shippo held their weapons in front of them and began channeling their energy into the wood. In seconds, Kagome's stick started to pulse and glow with a pure pink light. Shippo took a little longer, but eventually his too began to glow blue and fox fire flowed from it's length much like Midori's sword.

"We did it!" Kagome breathed, sounding surprised as she looked down at her weapon.

"Congratulations! Now we can get started." Midori grinned and walked a short distance away. Kagome and Shippo followed, standing at her side as Midori drew her sword. They watched as Midori brought the blade up to the palm of her hand with an almost feral grin and quickly cut into her skin, drawing a small amount of blood. "Now, lets get this session going, hm?"

Midori closed the palm of her hand, blood seeping from the shallow wound. She let the scent permeate through the air, the blood falling on the stone walkway at her feet. After a few seconds, the bleeding stopped and the wound closed, leaving to trace behind. Then, a sound rose up from the shadows of the castle ruins, a faint rumbling, followed by squeaks and hisses.

Slowly, small furry animals stepped from the shadows, eyeing Midori, Kagome and Shippo. They were small black rats, with tiger-like stripes of red in their fur, their red eyes glowing as they crept closer, trying to intimidate the three.

"Alright, you two. This is your graduation test." Midori grinned, standing her ground as her blade burst into green flames. "If you clear the rats out the castle before lunch, you pass!"


	14. Stand Your Ground

Inuyasha stood on a hill, overlooking the castle grounds as Midori, Shippo and Kagome battled with the demon rats. He had come because he caught the scent of Midori's blood on the wind, and it had startled him briefly. Sango, Miroku, Kotone and Takao had followed him, all worried for their friend. Once they saw that the group was just fine, they stopped and found a place to sit and watch the fight. Sesshoumaru and even Tomoe joined them some time after they had arrived, and they all looked down on the battle.

Midori, Kagome and Shippo were below them, their backs to a sakura tree that was blooming out of season. Wave after wave of black demon rats charged them, but the three warriors battled them back with ease. Kagome and Shippo were sporting weapons Inuyasha had never seen before, and he laughed when he learned that they were just sticks that they were using like swords!

"No, Inuyasha-sama." Tomoe said, placing a paw on his shoulder to get his attention. Inuyasha stopped laughing and turned to look at her. "Take a closer look at those weapons your friends wield. If they were just ordinary sticks, then how come they haven't broken yet?"

Inuyasha looked back down at the battle, blinking with confusion as he watched Kagome and Shippo cutting through dozens of rats at once, dodging claws and teeth with ease. He closely watched Kagome's weapon, his sharp eyes practically burning a hole through it as she brought it up to slash at a rat that had leapt at her. Instead of batting it away, the stick went through it! It slid right through the rat's body like a sword would, and the rat was sliced in half and then purified, it's body disintigrating into ash from Kagome's spiritual powers.

"Now you see?" Tomoe asked, a sparkle of amusement hidden in her yellow eyes. "Midori-sama must have given them those sticks and taught them how to use them properly."

"Explain." Sesshoumaru said, suddenly standing next to Tomoe, his eyes trained on the battle below.

"Midori-sama was raised by Onmyouji of the Abe clan." Tomoe explained, totally unpreturbed by Sesshoumaru's usually menacing aura. "I was in Kyoto during the Heian Era, and I remember well the things that Onmyouji could do. They could create weapons for themselves out of the simplest things. A blade of grass, a single leaf, a small flower, or even a branch from a tree. Midori-sama must have been taught this while she lived at the shrine."

"Hn." Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes slightly, gazing at the battle while he listened to the Elder's words.

"However.." Tomoe said, looking slightly surprised. "I have never heard of youkai being able to employ this technique. Have any of you watched Midori-sama training Kagome-sama or Shippo before?"

"No, I haven't." Sango said, looking at Tomoe with a downcast expression.

"Neither have I." Miroku stated, shaking his head.

"I'm always too bored to watch them train for long." Inuyasha added. He sounded disinterested, but something about this conversation worried him somehow. "Midori and I used to spar a lot though, before we left Kaede's village."

"Has Midori-sama ever landed a blow on you?" Tomoe asked, looking to Inuyasha.

"Nah." Inuyasha replied, ignoring the sudden worry that was growing in his mind. "She always pulled back before she hit me. She always said she just wanted to spar with me for fun, not actually hurt me."

"Hm.." Tomoe mused, looking down at the castle grounds. "Strange."

"I thought Jaken and Rin-chan were supposed to be with them?" Sango asked, looking down at the battle. "Where are they?"

"You're right. I don't see them anywhere." Miroku replied, shielding his eyes from the sun to get a better look. "There's something up in that sakura tree though. Those rats must really want it."

Sesshoumaru looked at the sakura tree, and sure enough, there were demon rats slowly gathering around behind it, away from Midori, Kagome and Shippo. They looked up into the tree as though they had found prey, and Sesshoumaru tensed just as a blast of fire escaped from the boughs of the tree, causing the rats to scatter. Rin and Jaken were hidden in the tree. The rats didn't stay away for long, instead they gathered quickly and charged at the tree. In the blink of an eye, Sesshoumaru was running down the hill, ready to slice the rats to pieces, but Midori was faster.

"_Hinote Oonami!_" Midori's voice echoed through the castle grounds as she whirled, sending green flames around her in a huge circle, charring all the demon rats around her as the flames quickly spread outwards. Surprisingly, only the rats were burned by Midori's flames, and the rats by the sakura tree were suddenly burned away, leaving everything else untouched.

Sesshoumaru stopped abruptly, landing on the high wall that surrounded the castle and standing on the black tile roofing. He looked down at Midori and found that she was grinning up at him for a moment before she turned back to focus on the remaining rats. The sun was nearing it's peak now, and the demon rats had retreated to the shadows, hissing and snarling as they disappeared.

"It's not over yet." Midori declared, sniffing the air around her cautiously before a feral grin broke out across her face. Sesshoumaru had never seen an expression like that from her, and he was mildly impressed by how.. _predatory_ she looked. "Kagome, Shippo, you've passed the test. Now go back and protect Rin and Jaken."

Sesshoumaru saw Midori tense slightly, her eyes narrowed, but then to his surprise, she relaxed. Standing upright, she sheathed her sword and stared ahead of her as footsteps echoed. Kagome and Shippo quickly moved back, taking their places on either side of the tree, Rin chattering happily with Jaken about what she had learned today, but Sesshoumaru's attention wasn't on them. It was following Midori's intense stare, just as a woman walked out of the shadows and into the sunlight.

"Well, well! I must say I'm impressed, little girl!" The woman sneered. She had long curly black hair that hung down to her waist, and her eyes were crimson, trained on Midori with a malicious smile. "You've created somewhat of a problem for my babies, I'm afraid."

"I apologize, I wasn't aware that another demon leader had moved in." Midori smirked, her whole body tingling with adrenaline. She could smell blood emenating from the woman, and it made Midori giddy, but she hid it well. "Perhaps introductions are in order?"

"Hm. You're pretty straight-forward aren't you? Very well! I am Nezumiko, leader of the demon rats!" The woman's smile widened and she looked at Midori as though she expected to be feared."And you are?"

"Tamamo no Midori, Lady of the East." Midori said with authority in her voice. The rat-woman's smile faltered and Midori's predatory smile grew, but she still stood relaxed, almost as if she looked bored.

"Tamamo?" The woman laughed, but her body language gave away her sudden nervousness. "The Tamamo clan died out centuries ago!"

"Ah, yeah. Sorry about that." Midori said coolly, her gaze never leaving her opponent. "I just recently found out about my heretige. Now, on to business. Would you kindly take your tribe with you and leave my castle? You're in the way of rennovations."

"You dare ask _me_ to leave? This castle has been mine for years! I laid claim upon it, driving away those pathetic foxes to make a new home for my clan!" The woman shouted, trembling with a mixture of rage and fear. Her eyes began to bleed red, and her voice became loud and shrill.

"Well, I'm sorry to say this, but your rats smell _terrible_. I simply won't be able to put up with you lot mucking up my castle anymore." Midori sighed, knowing full well that the rat-woman was growing increasingly angry.

"You will not insult me further! I will show you what happens to those who cross me!" The woman shouted. She looked like she was just about to boil over with rage, but Midori just stood her ground calmly and watched as the woman in front of her transformed. Fine black fur grew over the woman's skin and her body shifted and contorted, growing in size with a raspy growl untill she had transformed into a large black demon rat. The rat's shoulder alone reached up to Midori's head, but Midori stood her ground with a grin on her face.

"Oh ho? You intend to fight me?" Midori chuckled, completely uneffected by the rat's snarling and hissing. Midori's eyes glowed red, and her tone changed. It was sharper and louder as well, but beneath her breath a menacing snarl could be heard. "Then allow me to comply with your request!"

Midori felt her blood begin to boil and she let the heat spread throughout her body, sending a wave of chilling youki into the air. Pure white fur spread over her body and she let the beast within her take control. She transformed. Standing there before the giant rat was a massive pure white nine-tailed fox, crimson markings swirling across it's body as it's tails swished and swayed around her. And the fox was staring directly at the rat, unmoving, unwavering, while a deathly growl emerged from her throat.

In the blink of an eye, Midori charged, snapping her jaws around the rat's neck and brought it crashing to the ground, pinning it down with a feral snarl. Everyone watched in awe as the rat struggled feebly, but eventually it began to submit. No words need be spoken, as Midori was using the language of beasts to make her point quite clear. This was _her_ territory, and she would allow _none_ to contradict her. Midori relaxed her jaws and raised her paw, and the rat demon transformed back into a woman. Midori transformed back as well, with a triumphant look in her eyes as the woman slowly stood, swaying slightly.

"Now, Nezumiko.." Midori began, her tone sharp enough to make the woman flinch. "Take your tribe of rats and leave the Eastern territory. I will let you live, but if I see you within my territory again I will not be so lenient."

Sesshoumaru watched from his perch along the castle wall as the woman lowered her head in defeat and Midori walked back to the sakura tree calmly. The woman turned and called to her kin, and they came slowly. There were thousands of them, and the ground seemed to vibrate with their footsteps as they left, scampering out of the castle grounds and far away into the distance under Midori's sharp and watchful eyes. Once the clan of demon rats had gone out of sight, Midori had relaxed enough to smile.

* * *

><p>It had been a short week since the rat demon clan had been banished from the Eastern territories. Midori and her friends had stayed in the fox village, learning more of the history behind the Tamamo clan, helping the villagers when they could, and overseeing the rennovations of the Tamamo castle. More than once, Midori had gone up to the castle, surprising the workers from the village with tea and food, giving them a chance to rest while she herself picked up a tool and began to work. Midori had begun training Rin in the early evening, and little by little the child improved. Of course that was only when she wasn't running around and showing Midori all the flowers she thought were pretty.<p>

One night, Midori had been woken late in the evening to the sound of a koto being played in the distance. Midori had recognized the song and, grabbing a wooden flute she'd recieved as a gift, hopped up into the roof of the Inn. Midori sat down on the roof and looked out at the fields of waving golden grass, swaying in the warm midsummer breeze. Midori listened to the sound of the koto before bringing the flute up to her lips. Soon, the koto and the flute were playing together in perfect harmony, with only the sound of crickets and night-birds joining them.

Midori smiled to herself as she let the melody wash over her. Midori knew the song well. It was a sad song of longing, about a woman who had left her home in search of her long-lost lover, only to find that he had died in a foolish war between clans. Midori had an idea who was playing the koto but she didn't make herself known, merely sitting on the tiled roof and playing along. Once the song ended, Midori lowered the flute with a sad smile, remembering the story as she wiped a single tear from her cheek.

"Why are you crying?" Sesshoumaru's voice startled Midori and she gasped, looking up at him. Sesshoumaru stood on the roof behind her, looking down at her with his usual unreadable expression. His sandalwood scent circled around Midori like he'd been standing there for a while and she was surprised she hadn't noticed.

"Oh.. I'm just remembering the story from the song." Midori answered, smiling as she turned to look back at the fields of tall grass. The full moon hung low over the horizon as it descended the night sky, and soon the sun would rise and return color to the world. Midori had always enjoyed the night and watching the moon as it rose and fell in the sky, and the stars as they twinkled, shining down on her surroundings with a pale glow.

There was a long silence, only broken by the song of crickets, as Midori sat on the roof with Sesshoumaru by her side. They both looked out on the field, watching fluffy clouds lazily float overhead creating shadows as they blocked out the moonlight. Fireflies drifted over the grassy field, their pale green light flickering slowly, seemingly matching the beat of Midori's heart. The scent of sandalwood and sun-warmed grasses was almost intoxicating to Midori and she smiled softly, ignoring the faint blush that was rising to her cheeks.

"Ne, Sesshoumaru.." Midori broke the silence, risking a glance at Sesshoumaru before she stood and turned to him. He looked at her with the moon at his back, looking elegant and regal as his molten gold colored eyes seemed to glow from within. His long silver hair swayed gently in the breeze, each strand glittering in the moonlight. The mere sight of him took her breath away and she fought to calm her heart while it threatened to beat out of her chest. "Do you regret travelling with me?"

There was a long pause in which Sesshoumaru simply looked at her and Midori felt as though her heart would burst. She could feel her the heat on her cheeks rise untill she knew her whole face must be blushing, but her gaze never wavered as she waited for Sesshoumaru's answer. She didn't even know why she was asking him, but for some reason the thought of him regretting being with her caused her heart to ache terribly.

Midori was only vaguely aware of her surroundings now as she unconsciously brought her hands up to her chest, still holding the delicate wooden flute. His piercing gaze seemed to scan her posture and Midori realized she must look silly, standing there in her white silk hiyoku, barefoot, her hair still a mess from sleep, but for some reason he didn't seem to mind it. Finally, he looked back into her eyes and answered.

"No." He said simply, and Midori noticed that his eyes had softened slightly. Even though he had said so little, Midori thought she would sink to her knees with relief. She knew that even though he had only said one word, he had truely meant it and that was more than enough for her.

"I'm glad." Midori said with a soft smile. Without fully realizing what she was doing, Midori walked up to Sesshoumaru, raised her head and placed a single, soft kiss on his cheek. It was a simple action, but when Midori hopped off the roof and walked back to her room, she knew she had told Sesshoumaru everything that was in her heart at that moment.

* * *

><p>Sesshoumaru had been sitting in his room when he heard the faint sound of a koto playing somewhere. It had disturbed him from his thoughts, so he had been mildly annoyed, sighing as he stood to look out the open window. However, he heard a door open within the building, and soft footsteps walking passed his door. The scent of spring flowers and cloves reached his nose and he wondered why Midori would be awake at this time of night. Stepping over Jaken's sleeping form, he walked across the room and slid open the door silently, listening as Midori left the Inn.<p>

He was curious, so he followed her outside when her scent was now coming from a higher place. The sound of a flute reached his ears, and it blended with the sound of the koto perfectly. Sesshoumaru jumped onto the roof with ease, and Midori was there, sitting on the black clay tiles with a delicate wooden flute resting against her lips. Midori's eyes were closed and her face was relaxed, almost like she were asleep and perfectly at ease, but the music she made was so filled with emotion. It spoke of sadness and longing and loss.

And then just as the song had begun, it ended softly. Sesshoumaru watched as a single tear rolled down Midori's cheek, glittering against her skin like a single diamond in the moonlight, and she lowered the flute to brush the tear away. For some reason beyond his knowledge, Sesshoumaru stood there frozen, unable to move or look away. He had been captured.

"Why are you crying?" He asked, his voice a little colder than he had meant it to sound. Midori gasped and looked up at him, her eyes wide with surprise. He saw recognition on her face and she smiled suddenly. But it was a sad smile.

"Oh.." She said, turning away to look into the distance, her expression changing slightly. "I'm just remembering the story from the song.

There was a long silence in which Sesshoumaru watched her from the corner of his vision. She stilled and gazed at her surroundings, her breathing deep and even as she looked totally enveloped by it's beauty. He glanced around half-heartedly, and he had to admit, it was a beautiful night, but something else had taken hold of his attention.

"Ne, Sesshoumaru.." Midori stood slowly, turning to face him. Sesshoumaru looked back at her, noticing her heartbeat had sped up slightly as a blush just barely graced her cheeks. "Do you regret travelling with me?"

Sesshoumaru was a little taken aback by her question. Why did she think he regretted travelling with her? Had he been acting coldly? He couldn't think of an instance where he had acted any differently towards her.. Sesshoumaru simply looked at Midori and he heard her breath hitch in her throat. All thoughts seemed to slip away from him without reason. He stared at her as she clutched her flute to her chest shyly, her eyes wide and her rosy lips slightly parted, wearing nothing more than her white silk hiyoku wrapped around her with a silk sash. Her long black hair swayed gently in the breeze and quite suddenly, the fireflies from the field behind her rose on the breeze. With the moonlight against her face and the glittering veil of fireflies at her back, she suddenly looked breathtaking.

"No." He said, surprise causing his tone to be rather blunt. Though she surprised him by smiling. The tension in her body relaxed, and she looked up at him with the most serene smile. Sesshoumaru could only stand still and watch as she swept over to him gracefully, her footsteps silent even against the cold tile roofing. She reached up and Sesshoumaru could feel Midori's lips brush ever so slightly against his cheek. In that instant, he felt as if an electric charge had coursed through his body. He could have almost drown in her sweet scent of spring flowers and cloves, but as quick as it had come, it faded on the gentle midsummer breeze.

"I'm glad."

Sesshoumaru turned and watched her slip down off of the roof, and he heard the door to the inn open and close quietly. He stood there, wondering just what had caused him to freeze up like that, and what was that jolt he had felt earlier? He had never before experienced something like that.

* * *

><p>Midori woke again well after sunrise. She had quickly dressed and left her room, walking down into the dining area where she could hear the voices of her friends talking over breakfast. When she walked into the room, she could see everyone sitting around a table, talking, joking and laughing. Her heart sank a little when she noticed Sesshoumaru was missing, and then she wondered why she suddenly felt that way.<p>

"Oh, Midori-chan! Good morning!" Kagome smiled, waving for Midori to come sit next to her.

"Good morning, Kagome-chan." Midori smiled in return and sat next to Kagome, who quickly piled food in front of her.

"Midori!" Inuyasha cried, suddenly tearing himself away from his avid conversation with Miroku, startling Midori somewhat. "We gotta get outta here!"

"Eh?" Midori asked dumbly, and Kagome rolled her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"We gotta get back to looking for jewel shards, remember?" Inuyasha asked like an impatient child.

"Is that all?" Midori sighed, relaxing. She had thought there was something seriously wrong. "Don't scare me like that, Inuyasha!"

"I told you to wait untill Midori had at least eaten breakfast, Inuyasha." Kagome scolded.

"But you know how she runs off somewhere every morning after breakfast! I can hardly get a word in!" Inuyasha groused before shovelling more food into his mouth.

"It's alright, Kagome." Midori smiled, taking a sip of her tea. "He's right, though. We should be going."

"Alright!" Inuyasha cheered, finishing the last of his meal in record time. "Now that it's been decided, everyone go get packed! We'll get moving after breakfast!"

Midori laughed at Inuyasha's enthusiasm and Kagome scolded him. Everyone finished their meal quickly and packed what they would need. Midori went to Tomoe's hut to say goodbye, and soon they stood at the outskirts of the village, only Kotone and Takao weren't with them.

"Midori-sama!" Kotone cried, running up to Midori.

"Eh?" Midori turned to see a rather breathless looking Kotone, in fox form. "What's wrong, Kotone?"

"I'm sorry, Midori-sama. Takao and I can't join you." Kotone caught her breath and looked up at Midori with a heart-breaking expression. "It's my mother. She's very old and she's fallen ill. I have to stay and care for her for a while, and Takao wanted to keep me company."

"That's alright. You don't have to worry." Midori smiled assuringly. "I hope your mother feels better soon."

"Thank you, Midori-sama. I'll be sure to tell my mother your feelings." Kotone smiled sadly and after a few minutes of conversation and goodbyes, she walked back into the village.

"Alright, Midori! Now that we've said our goodbyes _again_.." Inuyasha drawled, taking Midori's shoulders and pushing her a distance away from the village. Kagome, Shippo, Sango, Miroku, Jaken, Rin, and Sesshoumaru followed behind them with varying expressions. "Start sniffing out a jewel shard already!"

"Ne, Inuyasha!" Midori grinned over her shoulder. "Aren't you the slightest bit jealous that I can smell jewel shards and you can't?"

Inuyasha made the funniest sound as he shook his fist at her, much to the amusement of the others, and Midori just danced away with a giggle, coming to a stop in the center of the grassy field. She raised her head and closed her eyes, and now that all was silent, she searched her surroundings will all her senses. She listened for the sweet, gentle hum of her target's energy, she searched for the faint floral scent, and soon she found something.

"Got one." Midori announced, turning to look towards the West. "It's faint, though. It's probably pretty far away."

"Then we'll just have to hurry up and get to it before someone else does!" Inuyasha looked pumped up.

"Hai, hai." Kagome sighed as the group started walking West. "Lets try not to wear ourselves out this time, okay?"

And so the group headed West at a crawling pace. The increasing temperature of summer didn't help them any, and they frequently took breaks to rest and gather more water. Inuyasha wasn't pleased with this and at one point, Kagome even pushed Inuyasha into a river, saying he needed to cool off.


	15. Just Tonight

It was hot._ Dreadfully_ hot. The group had been travelling for five days since leaving the village, trying to track down jewel shards and collect information on Naraku along the way. But to no avail. The only scent of a jewel shard was the one they were journeying towards, the one far to the West. At the end of the fifth day, just as the sun was setting, Midori and her friends were trudging up a hill, slowly but surely. The cicadas were buzzing happily against whatever trees they could find, and the night-birds were beginning to wake, singing their sad song through the valley.

"Hey guys.." Kagome breathed, pushing her bike, with Shippo, Rin and Kirara on it, up the steep hill. "I can sense the jewel shard now. We're getting close."

"Finally!" Sango groaned, wiping the hair and sweat from her brow with the back of her hand.

"I think it's just over this hill." Midori panted, fanning herself with a giant leaf.

"Guys! Come look at this!" Inuyasha reached the top of the hill before anyone else, and he stood with his back to them, looking ahead.

"Where does he get all that energy?" Miroku sighed, shaking his head as the group reached the top of the hill.

They looked down the hill, and into a serene valley that seemed to look almost surreal. The mountains behind the valley were high and snow-capped, and a forest sprouted up around the base of the mountains and extended outwards like a ring around the valley. A large clear river ran down the mountain and into the valley, pooling into a huge lake. Near the lake, in the center of the valley was a small village. A cool mountain breeze swept out of the valley and wrapped around Midori, causing her to shiver briefly. The scent of flowers, grain and sake reached Midori's nose and made her sneeze.

"Midori, are you okay?" Shippo asked, looking concerned as he peeked out of the basket on Kagome's bike.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Shippo." Midori sighed, looking a little forlorn. "I don't wanna go down there, though."

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked, looking over his shoulder as he and the others started down the path into the valley.

"There's a sake brewery down there." Midori whined, following them apprehensively.

"What's so bad about a sake brewery?" Sango asked, looking curious.

Midori just groaned and waved her off, hanging her head in defeat. Midori decided she would have to be very careful while she was in this village. Sighing, Midori held her head high and resigned herself. At least she would be able to bathe while they were here, Midori could smell a hotspring somewhere near the lake.

The group walked up to the outskirts of the village when Inuyasha came to a stop, holding up his hand to stop everyone else. Sesshoumaru, who stood quietly in the back of the group, looked mildly annoyed by this action, but he tolerated it. Inuyasha sniffed the air cautiously for a few minutes and then he tensed slightly.

"This is a demon village, guys." Inuyasha said after a short pause, his eyes narrowing as he scanned their surroundings. "It's like Midori's village, but everyone here is a rabbit demon."

"Do you think it's dangerous?" Miroku asked, his hand tightening around his staff somewhat.

"I don't know." Inuyasha admitted. "But I don't think they'd be willing to give up a jewel shard without a fight."

Sesshoumaru seemed to be at his wits end, and he coolly brushed passed Inuyasha and the others, walking into the village. Rin hopped off of Kagome's bike and followed him, as well as Jaken, and soon the whole group was following Sesshoumaru into the demon village. Inuyasha had been right, partially. It was indeed a demon village. Midori looked around curiously and saw dozens of villagers going about their day, eyeing them suspiciously only to notice Sesshoumaru and quickly look away.

A young-looking demon walked up to Sesshoumaru and bowed politely. Everyone was floored. The young demon stood about waist-height to Sesshoumaru. His skin was pale, with pale pink eyes and silvery hair, but what surprised everyone the most was the two perfectly formed rabbit ears that sprung from his head. He had a bright smile on his face, as if he had known Sesshoumaru for ages.

"Welcome back, Sesshoumaru-sama. You're a little early to pick up your order, I wasn't expecting you untill Midsummer." The rabbit demon explained, nervously smoothing out his spring green kimono as he walked beside Sesshoumaru through the village. "Would you like me to tell my master that you and your vassals have arrived?"

"Hn." Sesshoumaru nodded curtly. Inuyasha was just about to yell something, but Kagome quickly stepped on his foot and silenced him.

"Inuyasha, play along for now." Kagome hissed into Inuyasha's ear. "I don't want to make a scene."

The young rabbit demon scurried off down the dirt roads, and the group followed Sesshoumaru casually through the village. Midori looked around and noticed that all of the villagers had rabbit ears, and she wondered why she hadn't noticed that before. The group came to a stop at the front gates of a huge traditional japanese mansion, and the rabbit demon quickly hurried inside the gates and into the mansion, talking to servants along the way before he disappeared from sight.

The group nodded and waited at the gate for a few minutes untill an elderly rabbit demon appeared from the mansion, with the younger one behind him. He smiled to Sesshoumaru as if they were old friends, and he bowed when he came to a stop in front of Sesshoumaru.

"Welcome back, Sesshoumaru-sama." The elderly demon said, bowing deeply. "I have prepared rooms for you and your vassals to stay as long as you wish. Your usual order of sake will be ready in three days."

"That will be fine, Hideo." Sesshoumaru said with a nod. "I am not here to rush you. Is there someplace we may talk privately?"

"Of course. Right this way." Hideo said with a bow, and he led the group into the mansion. They followed him silently, passing dozens of servants, untill they were led into a large room. The room was almost as big as the dojo at Miyamori Shrine, Midori noted as they sat down. Hideo nodded to the younger rabbit demon at his side and he left. Midori could hear the servants filing out of the building and soon everything was silent.

"Thank you, old friend." Sesshoumaru said, looking to Hideo.

"What is it that you wish to speak with me about, Sesshoumaru?" Hideo smiled with a knowing expression, which seemed to surprise everyone.

"It has come to my attention that you possess a fragment of the Shikon no Tama." Sesshoumaru said simply. "I am curious as to how you obtained it and what you would need it for."

"Ah, yes. Those infernal things." Hideo sighed, looking dismayed. "I was under the impression that they would add to the flavor and purity of our sake, but I'm afraid it was the exact opposite. We placed three shards into a single vat of sake as a test, however the sake turned out to be much worse than I had thought possible!"

"How do you mean?" Sesshoumaru asked calmly.

"Well it would seem that those shards had been tainted, and in turn they tainted the sake. The vat of Getsuei sake turned black overnight and we had to dispose of it." Hideo explained, sighing.

"Do you still have the jewel shards?" Kagome asked, ignoring Sesshoumaru's warning glance.

"Yes, I do. I have them right here, actually." Hideo looked a little surprised that Kagome had spoken to him, but he handled it with grace, slipping his hand into his haori and retrieving a small silk pouch, holding it out to Kagome. "Why do you ask, child? Are they important?"

"Hai.." Kagome answered, gingerly taking the little silk pouch and opening it, dumping three small jewel shards into her palm. Hideo's eyebrows rose in surprise when the three black shards turned pink in the palm of her hand. "I am the Miko that has been charged with collecting the fragments. My friends and I have been searching for months, but this is the first time we've found so many in one place."

"Is that so?" Hideo asked, his expression changing from surprise to a friendly smile. "Well, by all means, you can keep them. I would like to ask if you could do an old man a favor, however."

"Eh?" Kagome looked up, surprised.

"You see, I am very old. It had been my dream in life to create and taste the best sake in the world. I thought with those jewel shards I would be able to do it, but they were tainted and so they made the sake foul. I see now that you have purified them, and I ask if you would be so kind as to humor an old man's request and let one of those purified shards sit in a vat of sake overnight." Hideo explained, his pale blue eyes flickering slightly with emotion.

"Alright." Kagome said with a nod, ignoring Inuyasha's protests as she got to her feet. "Take me to the sake vat, and I'll put it in."

"Kagome, I'll come with you." Midori said, standing as well.

"Daigoro!" Hideo called, and the door slid open, revealing the young rabbit demon. "Take these people to the guest quarters and have the cooks prepare them a meal. Also, while you're in the kitchens, tell all the staff we'll be having our Midsummer Festival tomorrow evening."

"Hai, Hideo-sama." Daigoro bowed quickly and led the group, minus Kagome and Midori, to the large guest house across the garden.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Kagome and Midori followed Hideo out of the mansion and into a large stone building. Once Hideo opened the doors, Midori had to quickly cover her nose as the smell of sake threatened to overwhelm her. Inside the building, Midori could see dozens of vats that stood from floor to ceiling, and hundreds of smaller wooden barrels lining the walls on wooden racks, leaving only a pathway down the middle wide enough for three people to walk comfortably. Hideo led them to the back of the building where a smaller vat of sake had been set up in a quiet corner.<p>

"Are you sure it's safe to leave here?" Midori asked absent-mindedly, trying to ignore her growing light-headedness.

"Yes, yes. I'm quite sure." Hideo nodded reassuringly. He retrieved an old wooden ladder from the corner and propped it up against the vat before he continued. "No one in my clan would steal it. They all respect me, as I respect them."

"Alright. Well, what do I do when I get up there?" Kagome asked, standing at the bottom of the ladder. It looked old, like it could snap in half at any moment.

"Just slide open the top of the vat. There's a small cloth bag tied to the wall of the vat that you can safely place the shard into. Be careful, though. Make sure you have your balance before you open the vat."

"Alright. I think I can do it." Kagome said, carefully climbing the ladder to the top. She crawled on top of the vat and found the latch to open the lid and slowly pushed it apart. "I can almost reach the bag.. Midori, come help me!"

"Ugh.. I'm gunna die.." Midori groaned softly, much to Hideo's amusement, and jumped on top of the vat. She knelt down and held Kagome in place carefully. Kagome reached down into the vat and began groping around in the darkness untill her hand brushed against fabric.

"Got it!" Kagome exclaimed, reaching down with both hands as she placed the smallest jewel shard into the linen bag that had been nailed to the inside of the vat, tying the bag tightly closed. But when she tried to pull herself back, she found she couldn't. "My ribbon! It's stuck on the nail. Hang on, I think I can wiggle it free!"

"Come on, Kagome. This smell is making me dizzy!" Midori whined, carefully holding Kagome's hips as she twisted and wiggled, Midori's own position awkward atop the lid of the sake vat. "Kagome, you're slipping!"

"Ahh!" Kagome slipped and fell into the vat of sake before Midori could grab the back of her uniform.

"Kagome!" Midori cried, and without thinking she dove head-first into the vat, grabbing Kagome's arm and yanking her up to the surface. The clear liquid was strangely heavy, and it sent a shudder through Midori's body as she tried to move around within it. She could feel the energy of the jewel shard just below the surface of the sake, but there was also another faint energy within the clear liquid.

"Agghhh! It smells so strong in here!" Kagome spluttered, wiping her hair away from her face as Midori took Kagome into her arms and jumped out of the vat, landing in a kneeling position on the wooden floor, wobbling slightly as she stood up.

"Girls, are you alright?" Hideo stood at the bottom of the ladder, his pale blue eyes wide with worry.

"Yeah, we're fine." Midori sighed pitifully, setting Kagome down on the rough wooden floor. Midori turned to face Hideo, wiping her sake-soaked hair from her face, untill she was surprised to feel the weight of her tails.

"You're..?" Hideo began, his eyes trained directly on Midori's white tails. "You're a nine-tailed fox demon?"

"Ah.. Yes, I am." Midori grumbled, looking back at her soaked tails as the strange light-headedness seeped through her. "I kinda freaked out when Kagome fell, so I couldn't keep hiding my tails."

Hideo stood in silence, looking at the two sake-soaked girls in front of him. Kagome was shivering and trying to wring out the sake from her skirt as modestly as possible, and Midori was shaking out her hair and tails, a faint blush staining her cheeks. The smell of the sake drifted around them and seemed to fill the room.

"A priestess and a nine-tailed fox.." Hideo said after a moment, more to himself as a thoughtful expression colored his face. "Come, girls. I'll take you to the bath house. The servants will fetch you clean kimonos and take you to your rooms for the evening."

"Thank you, Hideo." Kagome said with a polite bow, taking Midori's hand. "Midori, are you alright?"

"Yeah. I just feel a little light-headed. I'll feel better once we're out in the fresh air." Midori sighed, bringing a hand to her head as Kagome led her outside.

Hideo led the girls to a modest bath house where a pair of servants were waiting. He told the servants the situation and one of them readied a hot bath while the other ran off to collect a pair of kimonos. Midori and Kagome walked into the bath house and stripped off their smelly clothes. Midori was greatful to be away from the scent of sake as her light-headedness began to fade.

Midori and Kagome took their time bathing as thoroughly as possible, trying to wash away as much of the sake as possible. After they had finished, they changed into a pair of matching pink kimonos with sky blue obis and a servant led them into the guest house, where everyone was waiting for them.

Kagome and Midori were led into a large room. They looked around to see everyone sitting at a long wooden table with all kinds of food displayed before them. Hideo was also there, sitting at the head of the table, sipping a cup of tea. The sun had set so the lanterns that lined the walls had been lit, sending a flickering orange glow around the room. Midori and Kagome sat at the two empty spaces left at the table.

"Midori, Kagome, are you two alright?" Sango asked, looking across the table at the two girls. "Hideo-sama explained to us what happened."

"Yeah, we're fine." Kagome said, waving her off. "Midori's been feeling a little light-headed though, so we should probably turn in early."

"Hm?" Midori looked over at Midori, taking a strand of her hair and tucking it behind her ear, examining her face closely. "Is it just me, or does Midori's markings look lighter?"

"Eh? Really?" Shippo asked, looking surprised as he leaned around Midori to get a closer look. "You're right! They're not red anymore, they're almost pink!"

"Hideo-sama." Midori said suddenly, taking the group by surprise as she stood. "I'm afraid I am not feeling well. I would like to retire to my room for the evening. Please accept my apologies for not being able to enjoy a meal with you."

"Of course, dear. Go and relax, I take no offense." Hideo nodded. Midori bowed politely, her expression colder than normal, and Sesshoumaru noticed Midori quickly hide her hands in the sleeves of her borrowed kimono. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed slightly. Something about Midori's scent had changed, and she was almost radiating the scent of worry.

Midori turned and left the room, leaving her startled friends behind as she was led to her room by one of the servants. Midori had always hated being fawned over, and she wasn't lying when she said she wasn't feeling well. Something had happened when she and Kagome fell into that vat of sake, and now Midori was left feeling drained and tired, her senses dulled. It annoyed her to feel like that, and even moreso when she had noticed the scarlet markings on her hands and feet start to disappear. It was almost like the purifying pool in Kyoto, but she had felt no pain like when her demonic blood was being burned away.

Midori was led to a large room and the servant excused herself, quickly fading into the backround as she returned to the dining hall. Midori closed the door behind her and looked around her room. It was surprisingly spacious, the shoji screen perfectly clean, patterned with a scene of rolling hills and butterflies flying around sakura trees. A futon had already been laid out for her and Midori noticed that she could barely smell the floral incense that burned on a small table in the corner. She sighed, frowning as she pulled off the pink kimono and hung it on the stand against the wall.

Midori laid down on the futon, closing her eyes and wishing for her body to return to normal. As she lay there, her energy gradually returned to normal, her senses sharpening as the hours passed. Midori heard her friends, each being led by servants, pass by her room on the way to their own rooms. Kagome had stopped by Midori's room earlier to check on her, but Midori had pretended she was already asleep. She just wanted to be left alone for a while, untill she was back to normal.

* * *

><p>Midori woke slowly by the sound of a single set of footsteps approaching her room. Her sense of smell wasn't fully back to normal, so she couldn't tell who it was. She quickly closed her eyes and turned her head away from the door, pretending to be asleep once again. She heard her door slide open slowly, and then close. The footsteps drew closer, and then she heard a faint shuffling, like someone had sat down at her bedside.<p>

"I know you're awake." Sesshoumaru's voice reached Midori's ears and her eyes snapped open. She turned to see him sitting at her bedside, dressed in a simple white kimono, no armor or weapons in sight.

"What are you doing here, Sesshoumaru?" Midori asked, trying to hide the waver in her voice.

Without answering, Sesshoumaru pulled back the blanket that covered Midori and took her hand. Midori tried to pull away in surprise, but he held firm, staring down at her delicate hand. Though Midori stilled, she felt like her heart was beating out of control as she followed his gaze to the faded markings on her hand.

"What happened?" He asked, his voice softening slightly when he released her hand.

"Nothing happened." Midori said stubbornly, hiding her hand under the blanket once again. "Kagome and I just fell into that weird vat of sake, that's all."

"What was weird about it?" Sesshoumaru asked, sitting back slightly. Midori looked over to him and his entire being seemed to glow faintly in the darkness of her room.

"I don't know." Midori sighed, shaking her head with closed eyes. "It felt.. heavy somehow. Kagome wasn't bothered by it, so I just assumed I was sick from the constant travel and my weakness to alcohol."

"Hn." Sesshoumaru sighed slightly, his eyes falling closed as though he were deep in thought. "I'll have a conversation with Hideo in the morning. Something must have happened to you when you fell into the sake."

"What do you mean?" Midori asked, opening her eyes to look back at Sesshoumaru.

"Your markings have faded, you didn't notice my scent, and you couldn't pull away from me even though I was only barely holding your hand." Sesshoumaru answered, his normally cold voice tinged with.. something. "Your power has been drained."

"Great.. This is just what I needed." Midori sighed grumpily, letting herself fall back against the futon with great aggravation. Sesshoumaru's eyes flickered with surprise at the suddenness of her action. "So how long do you suppose I'll be weakened like this? I don't want to slow anyone down."

"It depends. Your recovery rate is startlingly high, so it may only require a night of rest." He said, looking down at her as she lay on the futon. Her long black hair curled slightly as it pooled around her like a puddle of ink, her hiyoku wrinkled and loose around her body, exposing a near indecent amount of her pale skin. Her eyes were trained on his, glittering with annoyance, but they softened slightly when she noticed his eyes on hers.

"Ne, Sesshoumaru.." Midori began, her eyebrows slightly raised, her expression curious. "Why do you stare at me like that sometimes?"

"Stare at you like what?" He asked, mildly confused. An unfamiliar emotion began to well up inside of him and he fought to push it away.

"Like you're afraid of something." Midori said simply, her voice so soft it almost startled Sesshoumaru. He looked into her jadefire eyes, and found that they were now completely calm. "Not of me, of course.. But you _are_ afraid of something."

"Hn. That's absurd." Sesshoumaru answered, once again his voice was more cold than he had meant it to be. "I am a daiyoukai. Lord of the Western Territories. I don't have time for fear."

"But.. I'm a daiyoukai too, and I still feel fear." Midori admitted, a slight blush creeping over her cheeks. "I'm afraid for my friends sometimes, and for you. I'm afraid that if we keep chasing after Naraku like this, someone may get seriously hurt or even die. I don't want that."

Sesshoumaru looked down at Midori once again, seeing the expression of sincerity on her face as she returned his gaze. When she looked at him like that, he couldn't help remembering that night where he had shared a brief moment with her on the roof in the fox village. He remembered how he had been captivated by her, how he had been unable to pull himself away. He remembered how her lips had felt against her skin, as soft as a falling rose petal.

"I just want everyone I care about to stay safe." Midori said, her voice soft and full of caring as she rested her hand on top of his gently. Sesshoumaru's body stiffened slightly as he looked down at her hand. "And that includes you."

Midori's blush had spread across her cheeks by now, but she felt strangely calm. She sat up slightly and scooted back on the futon, pulling the thin blanket away as she made her silent offer to Sesshoumaru. It was another simple action, with no hidden meaning or agenda behind it, and that had surprised Sesshoumaru. Though what had surprised him more was the stillness of his own heart when he unconsciously accepted her offer, laying down next to her without saying a word.

It was awkward for a few moments, and the silence stretched on with only the sound of their heartbeats and the soft song of crickets for company, but they eventually relaxed into a position where they were both comfortable. Midori lifted the thin blanket up to Sesshoumaru's chest and they settled into a mellow silence, knowing that no words need be spoken. It was a sweet and simple silence, unaffected by lust or desire, even though they both knew somewhere in their minds that it was present.

Eventually, sleep called to them through the pleasant song of crickets and the silence of unspoken words. They drifted off together, with Midori pressed against Sesshoumaru's side, her breathing soft and even. Sesshoumaru had wrapped his arm around her shoulder, careful to remain polite even in this situation.

* * *

><p>"<em>Sesshoumaru-sama!"<em> Sesshoumaru was woken by the familiar cries of his vassal, Jaken, and the panicked footsteps of the annoying imp as he ran up and down the halls, looking for his lord.

"_Sesshoumaru-samaaaaa!"_

Sesshoumaru slowly became aware of the soothing warmth enveloping him, and he froze. Gradually, the events of last night returned to him and he opened his eyes. Midori was half draped over him, her soft form pressed against his body as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Her arm rested gently across his chest, her small hand slipped beneath his kimono touching bare skin, and her leg had entwined with his sometime during the night.

Midori's hiyoku had slipped back considerably during the night, revealing much of her pearl-white skin. Midori sighed softly, shifting in her sleep as her hiyoku slipped further open, revealing the nude expanse of her hips. Sesshoumaru gently tried to slip away, but Midori made a soft mewling sound as though she were pouting, and her hiyoku slipped down her arms, causing Sesshoumaru to notice that her exposed breasts were pressed against his side.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken's voice was getting closer and Sesshoumaru sighed heavily, realizing that he had only a few minutes to cover Midori and rid himself of the perfect view of her body. Her scent reached his nose, speaking of comfort and faint arousal, and he groaned lamentably as he wrapped a blanket around her just in time. The door quickly slid open with a loud cracking sound.

"Sesshoumaru-sa-EH?" Jaken's surprised cry caused Midori to wake with a soft growl. She _really_ hated that imp..

"Sesshoumaru-sama! What.. When.. How..?" Jaken was at a loss for words, standing in the doorway with wide eyes. Early morning sunlight poured in behind him, further disturbing Midori. Sesshoumaru noticed this and quickly shot a glare at Jaken that promised death if he did not leave. "But, Sesshoumaru-sama! Hideo-sama sent-GACK!"

"Will you.. _please.._just shut the _hell up?_" Midori had sent Jaken flying back into the garden with a ball of green fox fire as she slowly sat up, using a tone and language that would make all but the hardest men shrink away, her jadefire gaze piercing the imp as though she were silently daring him to make another sound. "I was comfy, _dammit_!"

"You may want to cover yourself." Midori heard Sesshoumaru's voice from below her and she blinked, her expression changing to surprise. She looked down at herself and felt a blush rising to her cheeks. Her hiyoku was all but hanging off of her, the sash untied and the white fabric parted to display the naked skin beneath. Her eyes rose to meet Sesshoumaru's gaze, and her breath caught in her throat. He was _gorgeous_. His simple white kimono had opened just enough to see his bare, muscled chest beneath it, and his hair just slightly covered his face, his molten gold stare intense. "Your friends are coming."

"Eh...?" Midori blinked for a second and then her mind suddenly jammed into gear. "Oh, crap!"

Midori didn't wait to see if he was right, instead she threw the blankets off of her and grabbed her kimono and katana from the stand next to the futon. By this time Sesshoumaru had stood and smoothed out his kimono and Midori had quickly shoved her hiyoku into place just enough that she was decent. Instead of dressing right away, Midori grabbed Sesshoumaru's hand, much to his surprise, and they left the room. Midori followed her nose, dodging the scents of servants as they silently crept through the halls of the guest house towards Sesshoumaru's room.

"I see your senses have returned to normal." Sesshoumaru said, mildly impressed by Midori's sudden quick thinking and stealth. Even he had not been able to detect her scent once they had left the room, though he doubted she fully knew how she had been able to mask her presence.

Once they were in Sesshoumaru's room, Midori let out a huge sigh of relief, sinking to her knees in the center of the room. Sesshoumaru calmly closed the sliding door behind him and stood there silently with his arms folded over his chest, his golden eyes glittering with some amusement. Luck had been on their side, as it was still very early in the morning, and the sun had not yet risen fully. Only a few of Midori's friends had been awake and heard the commotion. Sesshoumaru slyly wondered what Midori would do now that she was alone with him in his room.

"Alright.." Midori breathed, slowly standing up, pointedly not looking at Sesshoumaru as an undeniable blush covered her cheeks. She set her katana down at her feet and turned her back to him, fixing her hiyoku so that it laid against her skin perfectly before draping her kimono over the thin white garment, tying the sash quickly even though her hands were trembling.

"Thank you for letting me drag you back here. I hope I didn't hurt your hand.. " When she turned back, her blush had faded somewhat and her voice wavered slightly. She was still avoiding his gaze nervously, and she suddenly looked very small and feminine, a complete change from the demon, no pun intended, that she had appeared to be only moments ago when Jaken had woken her.

Is something wrong?" Sesshoumaru asked, noticing the change with slightly narrowed eyes.

"No.. I just thought-"

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Where did you go?" Jaken's shrill voice cut off Midori's reply, though Sesshoumaru could hear that her tone betrayed a hint of sadness in her voice.

Midori crossed the room and slid open the door, walking out into the hall and closing the door behind her without another word. Sesshoumaru could hear her footsteps going down the hall and a startled yelp of pain from Jaken as Midori passed him by.


	16. Misery Business

The sun was beginning it's descent as the villagers finished setting up for the Midsummer Festival. Midori had been mysteriously absent for the whole day as news had reached the group that Jaken had been attacked in the garden outside her room. He was still nursing superficial burns and grumbling to himself every time Midori's name was mentioned, though he quickly stopped when he recieved a rather sharp glare from Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha, Kagome and Sango had decided that they were worried and went out to look for Midori but they hadn't found her. The group had gathered outside the front gate of Hideo's mansion to go on another search of the valley when they were interrupted.

"Hey guys!" Midori shouted as she ran up to them, her geta click-clacking against the ground as she ran. Her smile was almost deceptively bright, nearly rivalling the sun. She was waving happily with one hand as another hand held a huge bouquet of herbs.

"Where the hell have you been?" Inuyasha shouted at her, his worry obvious despite the fact that he looked angry.

"Gomen, Inuyasha!" Midori ignored him easily, still smiling brightly as she passed the bundle of herbs to Kagome. "I was going for a walk when I found these and lost track of time."

"Whoa! Midori-chan! These are all _very_ rare!" Sango said, staring down at the herbs in Kagome's arms with wide eyes. "Just one of these could fetch enough money to feed someone for a week!"

"You're really amazing with money, aren't you Sango?" Midori grinned playfully untill she felt Kagome's hand on her arm.

"What happened to you this morning?" Kagome asked, looking concerned. Midori noticed Sesshoumaru's attention was suddenly on her, and her smile softened for a split second before her bright and cheerful smile returned.

"Oh! I woke up early and went for a walk in the garden. I looked up and saw that Jaken was running around like an idiot." Midori lied easily, laughing as she sent Jaken a smile that simply said she would kill him slowly if he said otherwise. Jaken flinched and hid behind Sesshoumaru's leg. "I saw him run into my room and I thought he was trying to steal something, so I kind of over-reacted and blasted him with fox fire. I'm sorry, Jaken!"

"Good job, Midori!" Inuyasha laughed and clapped Midori on the shoulder with a proud grin. The others looked at her with varying expressions of surprise, except for Sesshoumaru and Jaken. "I would have loved to see that!"

"So? When are we going to check out this festival?" Midori turned and looked around her, trying to divert attention to something else, casually raising her arms over her head in a luxurious stretch.

"We hadn't really thought about it while you were gone." Miroku said calmly, "But now that you're here, I think it would be a nice change of pace to relax and enjoy ourselves."

"Oh, but Hideo-sama said that he wanted to see all of us sometime today." Kagome pointed out just as everyone was about to disperse. "I think it had something to do with the sake from yesterday."

"Ahh.." Midori whined, slumping forward slightly with obvious disinterest. "Alright, alright. Lets go see what he needs to talk to us about."

With that, the group went back into the mansion and were seated in the dining hall of the guest house as a servant went to fetch Hideo. They sat there for a few minutes, calmly discussing the herbs that Midori had found and scolding her for disappearing earlier that day. Sesshoumaru watched her carefully and noticed she would occasionally glance at him and then look away, a faint blush forming on her cheeks.

After a few moments, the doors slid open and Hideo walked into the room. He was carrying the small jewel shard that Kagome had lent him, and a servant followed behind him carrying an unmarked bottle of sake. All eyes went to the bottle, noticing a gentle hum of energy that seemed to make the bottle glow ever so slightly.

"Well, I must say that I'm very surprised to see what happened to the sake we used for our little trial." Hideo said with a mysterious smile as he handed Kagome the jewel shard and sat down in front of everyone. "Though I don't think that the jewel shard was the only thing that affected the sake."

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked, watching as Hideo set a large red clay sake cup in front of him and took the bottle from the servant. "What happened to it?"

"Watch." Hideo said simply, setting the sake cup on the tray in front of him and opening the bottle of sake. He tipped the bottle over the cup slightly and a pale white glowing liquid slowly trickled into the cup. It looked as though the sake had been infused with moonlight and it seemed to create it's own light. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"But.. I don't understand.." Sango said, looking at the cup with wide eyes. "What happened to it?"

"I can only guess." Hideo said, his voice taking a slightly more serious tone as he looked up. "I think that when Lady Kagome and Lady Midori fell into the sake, some of their energy had been pulled from them and into the sake itself. When they got out of the sake, their energy remained behind and blended perfectly with that of the jewel shard."

"But how would that be possible? I'm a miko, my energy is purification and Midori is a demon. Wouldn't our energy cancel each other out?" Kagome asked, glancing at Midori.

"Not necessarily. Remember what Kaede told us when we first learned about the Shikon jewel? The jewel itself is made from the soul of the priestess Midoriko, but that's only half of what made the Shikon no Tama." Miroku said, reminding Midori of a professor with his tone of voice. "A demon's soul was also sucked into the jewel, so it is safe to assume that both your energy and Midori's would have been balanced because of the energy within the purified jewel shard."

"I'm a little worried about what might happen if someone were to drink that." Midori said, narrowing her eyes at the glowing cup. "It doesn't feel ominous at all, but there's something strange about it."

"No need to worry, Lady Midori. I have instructed the servants on what to do if something should happen to me." Hideo smiled as he picked up the cup. "I'm sure I'll be fine."

"Famous last words." Midori said under her breath.

Everyone watched with bated breath as Hideo raised the glowing cup to his lips and took a small sip of the moonlight sake. He then set the cup back down silently, set his hands in his lap and stared at them. All was silent, and soon Hideo's eyes lost focus and he swayed, his weathered cheeks and nose turned red, and everyone began to panic untill a single sound broke the silence.

"Hic!" Hideo hiccupped and a stupid grin formed on his face as he swayed again slightly. Everyone was thunderstruck, staring at Hideo. He had gotten completely smashed from one sip of the moonlight sake.

"Well, I suppose that answers the question as good as anything." Miroku sighed while Inuyasha was rolling around on the tatami mat floor, roaring with laughter.

"This schtuff is.. the bescht!" Hideo grinned stupidly as he pointed to the glowing cup. The servant quickly batted his hands away and poured the remaining sake back into the bottle, hiding it away from Hideo, who was slurring his words and swaying. "I'm gunna call it.. _Tsukikage Sake_!"

"Hai hai, Hideo-sama. I'll be sure to remind you when you're sober." The young servant said patiently as she helped Hideo to his feet, her tone kind and maternal. "Let's get you into bed before you make a fool of yourself again, hm?"

"I must say, I'm rather curious to see what it tastes like.." Miroku mused, "I haven't had good sake in ages."

"And for good reason." Sango said dryly, casting a disapproving look at the monk. "That letcherous hand of yours has a way of groping anyone and everyone nearby when your drunk."

Kagome, Inuyasha and Shippo nodded in unison and Midori just sighed, shaking her head. Once the theatrics had been taken care of, the group stood and went outside to enjoy the festival. Word of the famous sake had spread around the village and people would occasionally walk up to Kagome and Midori to ask them about it, but the two girls had nervously waved them off, saying they knew nothing about it. They decided they didn't want to be part of a mass production line, so they said that Hideo was the mastermind behind it.

After a while, people stopped bothering them, so the large group of friends enjoyed themselves. The whole village was participating in the festival, and it seemed that every house and shop was lit up with brightly colored paper lanterns. Music filled the air and a general sense of merriment seemed to intoxicate the villagers as a waning cresent moon rose high overhead.

* * *

><p>Once the joy of the Midsummer Festival had reached it's peak, Midori snuck away from her friends. She walked down the dirt roads in silence, watching the villagers frolic and dance, enjoying the music, food and games that only festivals can bring. Midori walked out of the village and up a little hill, following the river with an absent-minded smile. Once she found the perfect spot to rest, she sat down in the grass and looked back down at the village. The last of the season's fireflies danced around her happily and blended in with the golden lights from the village, reminding Midori of stars twinkling in the night sky.<p>

Midori looked around and took in her surroundings. The forest around her had parted into a clearing, and the sourwood trees were in full bloom. Long frond-like stems were covered with dozens of tiny white flowers, almost glowing in the moonlight. And then to contrast the white, hundreds of red spider lillies rose up from the grass in green, leafy tufts. It was beautiful, especially with the clear blue river winding just along the outside edge of the clearing. Midori breathed in the heady perfume of the blossoms around her and laid back in the grass, letting her eyes fall closed.

Midori sighed softly and sat up, unable to break away from a restless feeling that had formed inside her since this morning. Absent-mindedly, Midori reached into a leather pouch hidden in her sash and drew out some plant seeds. Just what had been happening between her and Sesshoumaru lately? The seed in Midori's hand began to sprout, slowly uncurling through her fingers but Midori ignored it. What had he been thinking, when she had offered to let him sleep in her bed? The seedling continued to grow in Midori's hand, and Midori cupped her other hand below it as it grew to maturity and dropped dozens of little seeds into her waiting palm. Midori, still lost in thought, set the fully grown herb in the grass beside her and held another seed in her hand. She continued this process, radiating her energy into the seedlings and laying them beside her when they were fully grown, half-listening as the music from the festival played in the distance.

"So that's how you got all those herbs." Midori heard someone say from nearby, and she turned. There, standing on the hill with the festival lights behind him, was Sesshoumaru. And he was walking towards her casually. "I wondered about that. They don't grow around here."

"Eh?.." Midori asked dumbly as she tore her eyes from his gaze and looked down beside her. Her pile of herbs had easily dwarfed the bundle she had given Kagome earlier in the day. She must have been sitting there for a long time. "Oh, yeah. It helps me think sometimes. Don't tell anyone I can do this, though."

"Why?" Sesshoumaru asked, sitting down in the grass beside Midori.

"I kinda want to keep it a secret." Midori explained, holding a seedling in the palm of her hand and radiating her energy through it, watching it grow into a healthy plant. "If Miroku knew, he'd be begging me to do this all the time so he could sell the plants and go visit brothels or something."

Midori gathered up the herbs into a large bundle and pulled the leather cord from her hair, using it to wrap the bundle tightly together. She set the bundle aside and pulled out her leather pouch, pooling all the seeds she'd gathered into the bag before she tied it closed and hid it once again in the folds of her sash.

"Why did you sneak away today?" Sesshoumaru asked, looking at Midori from the corner of his eye.

"I just needed to think, I suppose." Midori sighed, running her fingers through her hair, trying to brush away curls that had recently been forming.

"Think about what?" Sesshoumaru asked again, watching her expressions closely.

"About what happened between us last night, and then again this morning. I don't fully understand how that happened, but I'm glad it did." Midori answered simply, still not looking directly at Sesshoumaru as a blush formed on her cheeks. "I'm sorry that I left you this morning without saying anything. Jaken seemed to watch you attention pretty bad, and I didn't know if you'd want to be seen around someone like me, especially with your high status.."

Midori's voice had gradually become quieter, and her eyes took on a distant expression as she spoke. The blush on her cheeks had deepened and now Midori was sitting in silence, nervously biting her lower lip as she waited for Sesshoumaru to say something, _anything_, to confirm or deny her feelings.

"What happened between us was.. Nothing." Sesshoumaru said finally, his voice regaining it's former ice. Midori felt that ice dig it's way into her heart and tear it apart slowly.

"Ah.. Alright then." Midori said, forcing herself to smile. She slowly stood, leaning down to pick up her bundle of herbs. Her face was a perfect crystalline mask, hiding her emotions so suddenly that Sesshoumaru was slightly startled. "I'm glad we've set the record straight then."

Midori turned calmly and walked down the hill, leaving Sesshoumaru behind her. On the outside, she was a mask of cool beauty and nothing about her betrayed her inner turmoil. Her face, her posture, even her scent said that she was perfectly fine. But inside, she was screaming, her heart had just been torn to shreds and she was forcing herself to lie, just as she had done every day she had lived at the shrine. She laughed to herself wryly. She never thought she'd have to hide her emotions like this again.

Midori walked back into the village, ignoring the whirling colors of the dancing villagers, the blur of motion around her, and all the sounds and scents that bombarded her on the way back to Hideo's mansion. She had to stay strong, she had to make it someplace quiet so she could calm down. She would not cry. Those words became her mantra and she repeated them in her mind over and over. She would not cry. She would not cry. She would _not_ cry!

"Midori!" Inuyasha's voice invaded Midori's personal bubble, and she felt a hand on her shoulder. "What the hell? I've been shouting for you for the last ten minutes!"

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha." Midori smiled up at the boy who looked so much like Sesshoumaru, her heart seizing in her chest. "I'm bored with the festival, so I'm going to go lay down."

Kagome, Shippo, Sango and Miroku walked up behind Inuyasha just in time to see Midori shrug his hand off of her shoulder and turn, walking away without the slightest look of acknowledgement. They watched her go, stunned. Inuyasha stood there with his hand still held up, his eyes narrowed slightly at Midori's retreating back as she disappeared into the crowd.

"What happened to her?" Shippo asked, looking up at Kagome. "She looked happy, but she didn't want to stay for the festival."

"I don't know, Shippo." Kagome said, frowning slightly.

"You didn't see her eyes." Inuyasha said, turning to look at Kagome with a grim expression. "Her eyes were completely dead. Like she felt nothing."

"What do you think could have happened?" Sango asked, looking concerned.

"I don't know, but I think I know someone who does." Inuyasha grumbled, his grim expression turning to one of anger. "She smelled like Sesshoumaru."

* * *

><p>"Where is he?" Midori could hear Inuyasha shouting in the garden. She had made it to her room in relatively one piece and she had laid down to rest for a while.<p>

"Inuyasha, stop it!" Kagome was shouting too, but she sounded upset and angry with Inuyasha.

"I'm gunna kill him!" Inuyasha shouted again, his voice closer now.

"Don't you think that will just make it worse?" Miroku sighed, trying to calm everyone down.

Midori sighed as she stood up and slipped into her kimono. Her room was darkened, and all the color seemed to have been drained from the world. Midori could no longer hear the music from the festival, and the night had been quiet untill Inuyasha's shouting had ruined her solitude. Midori walked to her door, hearing various voices growing louder as they drew nearer untill she slid her door open with a faint snap.

"Guys, it's late. What are you doing?" Midori looked drained and exhausted, but that didn't seem to phase Inuyasha.

"What happened to you?" Inuyasha cried, marching up the hall and standing in front of Midori.

"Inuyasha, just give it a rest already!" Kagome sighed, taking his arm and trying to lead him away. Sango, Miroku and Shippo walked down the hall as well, standing behind Inuyasha and Kagome.

"Well, since we're all here, come on in, I guess." Midori sighed, walking into her room and lighting a few candles with green fire from her fingertip. The candles glowed green for a few seconds before shifting to regular fire.

The group filed into Midori's room as she folded her futon and set it aside, sitting down rather uncerimoniously on the tatami mat flooring. Once everyone was inside, Sango shut the door quietly and sat down with the others, all of them looking at Midori.

"Midori-chan.. What happened?" Kagome asked.

"Sesshoumaru rejected me." Midori said simply, a ghost of a smile playing across her lips. She didn't care anymore if they knew.

"EH?" Inuyasha, Kagome and Sango looked at Midori like she had just grown a second head and a third arm at the same time.

"You have feelings for Sesshoumaru?" Kagome gaped at Midori, her voice sounding higher than usual.

"Correction. _Had_ feelings for Sesshoumaru. He rejected me, remember?" Midori said dryly, as if she were completely indifferent.

"How can you be so carefree about this?" Sango asked, looking confused. "This doesn't bother you?"

"I've decided that I'm not going to let it bother me." Midori said with a casual shrug. "It won't make me feel any better if I break down and cry, especially if Sesshoumaru is around."

"Well, what do we do then? Sesshoumaru has been travelling with us because you might be targetted by Naraku, Midori. He's not just going to leave us if we tell him to go away." Kagome sighed.

"Then let's leave him behind." Inuyasha said, showing a remarkable amount of calm and restraint. "Let's just leave here and go. I mean, we got the jewel shards, don't we?"

"Yeah, but-" Kagome was cut off.

"Then let's go." Inuyasha announced, standing and walking to the door, not looking back. "It's better this way, right Midori?"

"I suppose you're right." Midori sighed, closing her eyes to ignore everyone who was looking at her, at least partially.

"Alright. We'll leave as soon as everyone has packed their things." Inuyasha declared, opening the door and storming down the hallway.

"I'll go make sure he doesn't kill anyone." Kagome said hurriedly, standing and following after Inuyasha.

Miroku, Sango and Shippo left soon after and Midori was alone in her room once again. She silently stood, collecting her things and packing the small leather bag she carried on her back without a word. She turned and looked around the room. Now that she really looked, it was a really terrible design. The colors used for the design on the shoji screens were too bright, looking gaudy and garish in the light of the candles. Midori sighed, blowing out all the candles in the room before she left, closing the door behind her.

Midori walked silently to the front gate of the mansion, keeping her presence hidden. She had learned to do that just the morning, and she smirked slightly when she reached the gate and leaned up against the wall, hiding herself in shadow. Soon, Kagome, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku and Shippo joined her, all packed up and ready to leave. They walked through the village in silence, not saying a word as they passed the rows of houses, and soon they left the valley behind them.

Midori didn't stop to look back untill they were on the steep hill path they had used to find the village. The sun was just beginning to rise behind the snow-capped mountains and she watched it for a few seconds, admiring the cold, stoic beauty of the mountains in the distance before she turned away and left her heart behind.

* * *

><p>Takao sat on the roof of Kotone's family home, casually surveying his surroundings. His long charcoal-colored hair swayed in the breeze, glinting silver in the light of the high-noon sun. Takao had made a habit of sitting in high places, keeping his nose to the breeze for any sign of his Lady. His nose was the best in the whole village, and he was able to sort out scents from the far Northern territories. He had been able to follow Midori's journey as she travelled with her friends as if he were there. But today was different, because today was the sixth day since Midori's departure. Takao had been sitting on that roof all morning, waiting for any sign of Midori's scent to no avail.<p>

It wasn't untill he could smell Midori's friends travelling far to the south that he knew something was wrong. Midori wasn't with them, and the place where Midori's scent disappeared was far away from them. Takao focused on where Midori's scent had disappeared, sorting through every smell on the air untill he found something familiar. Sesshoumaru.

Quick as lightning, Takao jumped off the roof and walked into Kotone's home. Kotone was sitting at her mother's bedside when Takao came in. She looked up, her eyes curious, untill she saw his serious expression and his hard eyes.

"What happened?" Kotone asked, her usually cheerful voice stone cold..

"Midori-sama's scent has disappeared. Her friends are travelling south, back to that priestess Keade's village." Takao said, his deep voice somehow darker than before.

"Alright." Kotone nodded and collected her things quickly, turning back to whisper her goodbyes to her mother before she walked to the door. "Lets go see Tomoe."

The two warriors walked through the village side by side. The villagers noticed the change in the air around them and scurried out of the way. They knew that something was wrong if Kotone and Takao looked like they smelled blood on the air. Soon, they reached Tomoe's hut and walked inside unanounced.

"Tomoe." Takao caught the Elder's attention. Tomoe looked up from sorting herbs with slight surprise.

"What can I do for you two?" The elder fox asked, noticing their demeanor.

"We have to go for a while." Kotone said. "Something happened with Midori-sama, and we're going to see her friends. Would you look after my mother while I'm gone?"

"Of course, dear. I'll pack up some things and head over there now." Tomoe nodded reassuringly, her joints creaking softly as she moved into a standing position. "Take care of yourselves, and come back safely with Midori-sama."

The two warriors nodded in unison and left the hut. They quickly walked out of the village and disappeared through the field, heading south at a blurring speed. They would waste no time getting to Midori's friends. They would run the whole way. After all, the future of their clan was at stake.


	17. A Day In Someone Else's Life

"Dammit, Midori!" Inuyasha growled, holding up his sword to block Midori's onslaught of attacks. "What the hell has gotten into you?"

"Sorry. I guess I just got too into it today." Midori sighed as she pulled back, sheathing her blade and letting her hands fall to her sides. "You alright?"

"Ugh. I'll live." Inuyasha looked down at his tattered and dirty clothes with a groan. "Kagome is going to yell at me again when I ask her to sew these tears.."

"Eh, you can blame it on me." Midori said with a casual shrug as she and Inuyasha walked back to camp. "I'll make it up to you sometime."

"Well, you can start by relaxing a little bit!" Inuyasha grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's been three days and you still don't have a scent. It's creepy, not knowing where you are."

Midori just smiled slightly. It had been three days since she had left the rabbit demon village, and they had been travelling south almost non-stop. Kagome had suggested that Midori spar with Inuyasha to vent a bit, and that had become nightly routine. While Midori and Inuyasha sparred, everyone else would set up camp and cook dinner. Inuyasha was happy to get out of chores at first, but he quickly found out he got more than he bargained for when Midori came at him with a fury.

"Sorry, Inuyasha." Midori said, smiling slightly. "I guess I've just gotten used to it. I kinda wanna keep hiding for a little bit, just in case, okay?"

"Dammit.." Inuyasha sighed, hanging his head in defeat. "Fine. But if you keep this up for much longer, I'll make you wear a damn bell!"

"Alright, that sounds fair." Midori grinned half-heartedly as they reached the camp.

Sango had brought back some fish, which were roasting over the fire while she sat next to Miroku and Kagome. Shippo sat on Kagome's lap, munching happily on the pocky that Kagome had attempted to give to Midori. They all looked up when they saw Midori and Inuyasha walk into camp.

"Hey you two. Dinner's almost ready." Sango said with a smile.

"Ahh!" Miroku pouted, looking forlorn. "All those herbs could have fetched a fine price back in that last village. We could have stayed in an Inn!"

"No, Miroku. Those herbs are good to keep around in case someone gets hurt." Kagome scolded.

Midori smiled and sat down next to the fire, followed by Inuyasha, who propped his sword up against the tree beside him. Things were slowly returning to normal and that made Midori feel more at ease. The first day had been hell, she remembered. Everyone had been so worried about her, and Inuyasha had actually jumped up in fright when Midori had walked up behind him to tell him something.

Midori had been glad that she had been hiding her scent, however, when Sesshoumaru turned up later that day. He had been looking for Midori, but everyone had lied for her and told him she had left, setting out on her own. Midori had been hiding in a cave, waiting breathless untill he had left, and she had refused to come out untill the next morning. It had hurt, seeing him so suddenly like that, but she had once again put on her mask and no one said anything about it.

"Inuyasha, you might want to wait untill that's cooled." Miroku warned, talking to Inuyasha as he took a huge bite out of his roasted fish.

"Dammit! HOT!" Inuyasha yelled, almost choking on his food. Everyone sighed, shaking their heads, but Midori actually laughed which seemed to surprise everyone, even Inuyasha. He stopped cursing and sat back down, waiting for his fish to cool.

"Midori, why did you want to go back to Kaede's so quickly?" Kagome asked, looking at Midori. "Did you want to go back through the well?"

"Yeah, if that's alright. Now that I can hide my tails, it'll be much easier to move around in the modern era." Midori explained casually, and then shot a playful grin at Kagome. "I won't have to stuff my tails into a backpack this time."

"Why did you want to go back through the well, Midori?" Shippo asked, hopping out of Kagome's lap and seating himself beside Midori promptly.

"Well, I thought it might be nice to get some modern clothes, like Kagome, and since we're running so low on sweets, I could pick some up while I'm there." Midori said, grinning down at the little fox kit.

"I'm going with you, y'know." Kagome said matter-of-factly. "It's been three weeks since I've been home, and I miss my family. Besides, I've got a test coming up, so we might have to stay there for a few days."

"A few days?" Inuyasha cried suddenly, dropping the last few morsels of his fish. "But we don't have a few days! Naraku could be getting the last few jewel shards as we speak!"

"Relax, Inuyasha. It's only a few days. And we've been after Naraku for almost a year now, you should know that if he was gathering the last few jewel shards that he'd come after us next." Kagome sighed, rubbing her temple to ward off an impending hanyou-induced headache.

"But if you're both gone, how will we know if there's a jewel shard nearby?" Inuyasha grumbled, sitting back down, his expression changing slightly. "And what if Midori's family shows up?"

"Simple. I'll get Kagome back to the well, and I'll kick their asses for trying to take me back." Midori said calmly, stretching out on the blanket, Shippo leaning back against her stomache as he popped another stick of pocky into his mouth. "I really don't want to create a scene in the modern era, but if they leave me no choice, then I don't see what else I can do."

"I could always go back to that mountain in Kyoto and use the shrine to go to the Modern Era." Inuyasha suggested, a look of malice dancing in his eyes. "I could clear out the whole shrine for you!"

"Inuyasha.. Don't be an idiot. You remember when we first met Midori? She used that Shikigami against that lizard demon and killed it in a few seconds." Kagome reminded him, her tone stern. "Imagine what her family is like."

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest again, but he knew he'd lost the argument.

"Hm..?" Midori lifted her nose a little bit from her lounging position, sniffed the air, and then relaxed a few seconds later. "Kotone and Takao are coming."

A few minutes later, a single shimmering strand of silk thread floated over the fire, reaching for Inuyasha. Everyone watched as the thread lowered onto Inuyasha's shoulders lightly, and then wrapped itself around his neck. Midori sighed as Inuyasha struggled, and she flicked her finger towards the thread, burning clean through it with fox fire. Inuyasha gasped for air and a few seconds of silence passed.

"NO WAY!" Kotone's voice cried through the forest, startling a few nocturnal animals. "Someone cut through my string!"

"Kotone.." Takao's voice could be heard as well. "That was Inuyasha, not Sesshoumaru."

"How am I supposed to know? They look so much alike!" Kotone whined as the brush in the forest started rustling.

Takao walked into the firelight, his expression nearing almost _painfully_ bored. He walked up to Midori and sat down behind her without a word, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a gentle embrace. A few seconds of stunned silence later, Kotone ran up to the camp.

"That's not fair! I want to hug Midori-sama too!" Kotone cried, ignoring everyone else as she dove for Midori, hugging her right along with Takao.

"As much as I enjoy seeing two females bonding.." Miroku began, changing his tone quickly when Sango shot him a sharp glare. "What are you two doing here? I thought you were supposed to be back at Tamamo village."

"Midori-sama's scent disappeared three days ago, so we tracked you guys down to see what happened." Kotone explained sheepishly, letting Midori go. "We never expected Midori-sama to learn how to hide her presence so quickly."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, guys." Midori sighed, and then wiggled in Takao's arms. He still hadn't let her go. "Takao, I'm sorry I worried you. I'm okay, really."

Takao promptly loosened his grip, allowing Midori to lay down by the fire once again, but he still continued to sit behind her stiffly. Kagome offered the two of them some roasted fish they had left over, and soon the group had relaxed into friendly conversation.

"So why are you going back to that old miko's village?" Kotone asked as she looked over her silk thread, checking for the burns Midori had left.

"I'm heading back to the modern era with Kagome for a few days. There's some errands I want to run." Midori sighed, laying on her back and linking her hands behind her head. "We're running low on supplies, and Kagome has a test. I figure we can get stuff done faster if I go with her."

"Ooh! Ooh! I wanna go!" Kotone suddenly looked up and bounced around like an excited child.

"I'm sorry, Kotone." Kagome said, watching as Kotone's happy smile drooped slightly. "We don't know if either of you will be able to get through the well. Out of all of us, only Midori, Inuyasha and I have been able to make it through."

"It's a picky Bone Eater's well. It only likes certain people's bones." Midori joked to Shippo, who found that rather funny.

"Well, let's get some sleep. We're not far from Kaede's village, so we should rest before we get there." Sango said, picking up Kirara and walking a short distance away to lay down.

"Yeah, we should get there by midday tomorrow if we're lucky." Inuyasha sighed, jumping up to claim his usual sleeping spot. A tree branch.

Midori and Shippo snuggled up by the fire, with Kagome laying nearby. Miroku moved closer to Sango, and Takao and Kotone stayed close to Midori, staying awake in shifts to keep watch. The moon rose and fell in the sky, looking like a pale white sliver among the stars. The fire slowly burned down into embers, and soon even the embers turned to ash. Midori, ever prepared, woke in the early morning hours and tossed a few logs in the firepit, shooting it sleepily with a blast of fox fire to relight it before she rolled over and went back to sleep.

* * *

><p>Midori and the others had woken early in the morning to Kotone chattering happily with the ever-silent Takao, the smell of roasting boar hanging in the air. Breakfast had been eaten quickly, and the water bottles had been refilled in the nearby river. Camp was broken down in record time, and soon they were walking towards Kaede's village once again. Midori noticed Kagome and Kotone hanging around the back of the group, talking softly so no one else would hear, but she could already tell what they were doing.<p>

Kagome was telling Kotone and Takao what had happened between Midori and Sesshoumaru. There was a few startled cries from Kotone, but Kagome quickly hushed her. Midori pretended like she didn't notice and just kept walking. Inuyasha was walking next to Midori and occasionally he'd look at her from the corner of his eye. He could hear the conversation behind them as well, and he was checking on her, caring in his own way.

At about midday, the group arrived in Kaede's village. They wasted no time dumping their stuff in Kaede's hut, saying hello and quick goodbyes as they left, walking up the hill to the Bone Eater's well. Everyone crowded around it and said their goodbyes to Midori and Kagome before the two girls dropped into the darkness of the well and disappeared.

The group sat around on the hill for a while longer, almost as if they were waiting for the two girls to come back. About an hour of pleasant conversation passed before Kotone became _dreadfully_ bored, laying back in the grass uncerimoniously before she suddenly got an idea.

"Ne ne! Takao!" Kotone chirped, prancing up to the ever-silent Takao. "We should jump in the well and see if we can make it through!"

"Kotone." Takao said, his deep voice betraying the slightest waver of worry. "You just want to go because you're curious."

"Tch!" Kotone sighed, thinking she had been beaten untill another idea struck her. She turned to Takao, her smile as smooth as melted butter. "But Midori-sama could be in danger. We don't know what's on the other side of that well. She could be fighting right now!"

Takao stiffened and began to look visably shaken. Inuyasha and the others turned and saw, to their surprise, Takao standing on the edge of the well, his sun-bronzed face pale with worry. Kotone quickly jumped up and they both dropped down into the well after Midori. Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku and Shippo rushed to the well and stared down into the darkness.

"Dammit!" Kotone's voice called up just before she jumped out of the well, pouting. "Takao was able to get through, but I wasn't! That's not fair!"

"Wait.. Takao got through?" Inuyasha cried, staring down into the well. "Crap! If Kagome gets pissed about this, it's your fault! Got it?"

"Geez!" Kotone sighed, looking mildly offended. "Touchy!"

* * *

><p>"Thanks for letting me borrow your clothes, Kagome." Midori smiled, looking at her reflection in the mirror. She had gotten better at transforming, and she was able to change back into her human appearance now, successfully hiding her tails and her markings. She was standing in Kagome's room, wearing a white sundress with red ribbon trim that Kagome had said she couldn't fit. The top layer of Midori's hair had been pulled back and tied up with a red silk ribbon that hung down the back of Midori's neck, and Kagome had curled Midori's bangs to perfectly frame her face.<p>

"I can't believe how different you look in modern clothes, Midori." Kagome said, looking over Midori's transformation with a careful eye. "You look so much more mature when you wear a kimono, but in that dress you look like a normal girl!"

"Translation, I look like an old lady when I wear a kimono. Careful, Missy! I'm only three years older than you!" Midori scolded with a grin. The girls laughed for a few minutes before Midori's grin faltered into a distant smile. "Though I know what you mean. It's strange seeing myself like this. I'm so used to wearing kimono now. After almost four months.."

"Well, I'd like to think you're better off." Kagome interrupted with a nod, taking Midori's had and leading her downstairs.

"Kagome, are you going somewhere-WHOA!" Sota had run up to Kagome and was about to ask her a question when he turned and saw Midori standing beside her, looking like a normal human girl. "Is that Midori-chan?"

"Yeah, it's me. How are ya, kid?" Midori grinned playfully, letting her transformation slip a bit as confirmation. Her markings faded onto her skin and then disappeared, causing Sota's eyes to just about pop out of his head.

"That's so cool!" Sota cried, but Kagome waved him off.

"Sota, we only have a little time here and we have to go pick up supplies. Now be good for Mom and we'll be back soon." Kagome said, sounding very much like an older sister. Midori smiled and watched as Sota pouted a bit and sulked away.

Midori and Kagome walked out of the house and down the shrine steps, onto the busy streets of Tokyo. They talked about popular stores in the area, and Midori complained about how walking felt weird without her geta, making Kagome laugh. They stopped by the supermarket and picked up a _ton_ of stuff, and the cute boy at the checkout counter was surprised when Midori hooked her arms into the handles of all the of their bags at once and picked them up with ease. She and Kagome had left the store quickly and divided up the bags between the two of them, simply because they wouldn't stand out so much that way.

"Midori, didn't you say you wanted to pick out some clothes?" Kagome asked as they walked passed a few thrift stores on their way back towards the shrine.

"That can wait untill tomorrow. I'm exhausted!" Midori whined, walking beside Kagome as they manuevered through the busy crowds.

"Alright, let's head back then." Kagome declared and led Midori down a deserted side-street with a grin. "Shortcut! The shrine is just over that hill!"

"Okay." Midori said, and then a familiar scent reached her nose, causing her to stop in her tracks suddenly. "Kagome!"

"What? What is it?" Kagome turned to see Midori's face pale and her eyes go wide. "Is it your family?"

"No.." Midori shook her head and then grabbed Kagome's arm and they took off towards the shrine. Midori allowed her concentration to fade slightly and leaked her scent into the air like a beacon. "It's Takao!"

"WHAT?" Kagome screeched, causing Midori to flinch. Just then, Sota started running down the hill towards them, but something was different about him. His usually sparkling, cheerful face was expressionless, and he had a fluffy charcoal-colored fox tail. "Sota?"

Midori and Kagome skidded to a halt as the tailed Sota reached them. Midori blinked a few times, leaning down to examine the boy, turning his face this way and that. He allowed it, still showing no expression. Kagome stood there watching, gaping at the boy who looked so much like her little brother.

"Well you look like Sota, but you still have a tail. Human's don't have tails." Midori stood upright with a sigh, resting a hand on her hip. "Besides, of all the forms to choose from, you pick a ten year old boy?"

"Kotone said you might be in danger, so I only had a few seconds to decide." The Sota Look-alike said. A few seconds passed and he transformed into Takao, standing there in the middle of the street wearing a kimono, mainland armor, with two swords strapped to his hip.

"So Kotone put you up to this, huh?" Midori sighed with a disenchanted smile, ignoring Kagome's slight yelp of surprise at Takao's sudden transformation. "Well, that's it then. She's not getting her present."

"We should really get back to the shrine before someone sees him!" Kagome tried to rush them along, but Midori was looking over her shoulder.

"Too late." Midori said dryly as she pointed behind Kagome. Kagome followed her gaze and turned to see Hojo walking up behind her with a friendly smile. Midori felt Takao tense, but she took his hand gently, shaking her head, speaking softly so Hojo wouldn't hear. "This boy wants to mate with Kagome. He's not a threat."

"Hn." Takao accepted simply, relaxing as Hojo walked closer, eyeing Midori and Takao curiously.

"I can't believe you just said that!" Kagome hissed over her shoulder, a blush covering her entire face.

"Well, it's true, isn't it?" Midori grinned slyly and turned her attention to Hojo. "Hey Hojo! How are you holding up with those halucinations?"

"Eh? How did you know about that?" Hojo looked surprised, but he still smiled as though Midori was playing a prank. "Do I know you?"

"Oh, nevermind her!" Kagome said quickly and a little too cheerfully. Midori bit her lip to keep herself from bursting into laughter. "Is there something you needed, Hojo-kun?"

"Uh.. Yeah. I picked up something that might help you feel better, and I was wondering if you'd like to go see a movie or something this weekend." Hojo handed Kagome a colorfully wrapped package and suddenly started acting nervous and bashful, blushing like a schoolboy.

"Ugh. Okay, come on. I can't stand looking at that." Midori rolled her eyes and linked arms with Takao, who followed her lead, and started walking up the hill towards the shrine. "Kagome, we're going on ahead!"

"Okay! See you at home, Midori-chan!" Kagome called back, turning her attention back to Hojo.

"Is there something wrong with how that human acted towards Kagome-sama?" Takao asked, a flicker of curiousity in his voice taking Midori by surprise.

"Hm? Oh, no. He didn't do anything wrong." Midori sighed, resting her head against Takao's shoulder as the walked up the hill. "I'm just not a fan of boring guys like him. I like guys who are more mysterious and have a few tricks up their sleeves. It's more fun for me to try and understand them that way."

"Is that why you developed feelings for Sesshoumaru?" Takao asked calmly, and Midori smiled weakly, feeling the familiar ache in her chest.

"I suppose it might be." Midori sighed lamentably as they walked up the steps to the shrine, still walking arm-in-arm. "But I guess I got a little ahead of myself."

They continued up the steps in silence. When they reached the top, they crossed the shrine grounds casually and walked over to the house. Midori set her bags down beside the door and sat down on the concrete step. Takao sat next to her, looking around protectively.

"Ne, Takao.." Midori began, looking off into the distance. "Do you have a girl that you like?"

Takao nodded.

"Does she know?" Midori asked, looking up at her friend.

Takao shook his head.

"Hm.. That's a shame." Midori said, and Takao turned to look at her slightly as she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. "You should tell her you like her. You'd probably make her very happy."

They sat like that for a long while, with Midori resting her head on Takao's shoulder, her breathing soft and even. A breeze filtered through the trees, and a mixture of sunlight and shadow danced across her face as Takao looked down at her with a faint smile. He could smell Kagome coming closer, carrying her bags as she quickly ascended the steps, looking exhausted and out of breath when she reached the top.

"She fell asleep?" Kagome asked quietly, looking at Takao when she walked over. Takao nodded. "Alright. Could you carry her? I'll show you where to put her down so she can sleep."

Wordlessly, Takao gently picked up Midori's sleeping form, cradling her against his chest as Kagome opened the door for him. They walked inside and Kagome led him up the stairs and down the hall to her bedroom. Kagome pointed and Takao set Midori down on Kagome's comfy-looking bed. Without waiting for permission, Takao immediately sat down on the floor beside the bed, leaning against the mattress, laying his swords beside him protectively.

"You really don't have to stay by her side all the time in this era, Takao." Kagome smiled. "But I appreciate your sense of loyalty."

* * *

><p>Midori moaned softly, stretching out her limbs without opening her eyes. She was enveloped in warmth and she smiled when the scent of Kagome's mother's famously delicious food reached her nose. Midori could tell by the lack of light against her eyelids that it was night, and the smell of the air told her that she was in Kagome's bedroom. While she was stretching, Midori's hand brushed against something soft and furry and she smiled sleepily.<p>

Thinking that the soft and furry thing was Kagome's cat Buyo, Midori dreamily snuggled up next to it and started petting it lovingly. It's scent was cool and crisp like the air after a thunderstorm, and then Midori could hear the figure next to her make a faint gasping sound and stiffen slightly.

"Midori-sama.." A voice said from nearby. It sounded surprised, but also pleased. Midori smiled, glad that she could make someone happy, although she didn't really understand what she had done to please this person.. "Midori-sama."

"Hn..?" Midori's eyes fluttered open and she let the room come into focus. When she could see her surroundings, Midori came face to face with a fox with charcoal grey fur and deep black eyes. Her hand had stopped weaving it's way through the silky charcoal-colored fur and was now resting gently on the fox's back. She blinked sleepily, and finally something within her mind clicked. "Takao...?"

"I apologize if I disturbed you, Midori-sama. I must have fallen asleep." The fox was talking, and it was looking away like it was shy. Midori could almost see a blush forming on it's cheeks. Before she knew what she was doing, she picked up the fox and snuggled it close. "Midori-sama?"

"So CUTE!" Midori squealed with a childish giggle. She felt Takao struggle slightly and then still, laying against her stomache and chest. She smiled softly up at him and stroked his fur. "I'm sorry if I startled you, Takao. I'm afraid I have a weakness for cute things, and you look adorable in your fox form."

"It's alright, Midori-sama.." Takao said apprehensively, laying his head down on his paws and closing his eyes. They stayed like that for a while, Midori running her fingers through his fur lovingly, and he laid there in silence, relaxing. Then he seemed to remember something and raised his head up to look at her. "Midori-sama, Kagome-sama said that the evening meal is ready. She told me to wake you, but.."

"Alright, alright." Midori giggled, carefully picking Takao up and cradling him in her arms as she sat up and slid off the bed. He looked up at her with wide eyes as though this were very awkward. Before he could say anything, Midori placed him on the floor and he transformed back into his humanoid form. Midori could see the faintest traces of a blush on his cheeks as she turned and left the room.

Midori and Takao walked downstairs to the den, where the Higurashi family was having dinner. Kagome sat at the table and absent-mindedly watched the television, Sota was doing his best impression of Inuyasha and shovelling food into his mouth, Kagome's mother, Nodoka was quietly sipping her tea, and Kagome's grandfather was just about to take a bite of his rice when Midori and Takao walked in.

"Sorry I'm late." Midori said bashfully, but all eyes trailed to Takao behind her. He stood back in the shadows of the hallway, his charcoal grey hair pulled back into a braid, wearing his silver kimono. He had left his armor and weapons upstairs in Kagome's room, but he still looked like he could handle himself in a fight. Kagome's grandfather put down his chopsticks and calmly walked over to them.

"Demon be-GAH!" He had just been about to excorsize Takao when Midori caught his wrist carefully and guided the ofuda harmlessly to his own head. Kagome and Sota burst out laughing.

"Easy there, old man. You don't wanna hurt yourself." Midori said dryly as she and Takao walked into the room and sat at the table, where Kagome and Sota were still suffering the after-effects of their laughter. "Especially since I taught you how to properly make an ofuda. You almost excorsized my friend."

"Oh, Mom.." Kagome said, remembering she hadn't introduced Takao yet. "This is Takao, he's sort of Midori's bodyguard."

"Oh?" Nodoka said with a sly smile as she passed some food to Midori and Takao, noticing how closely Takao sat next to Midori. "He seems like a very nice boy. Well, young man, if you're a friend of Midori's, then you're a friend of ours. You're welcome in this home at any time."

"Thank you." Takao bowed politely, his voice returning to it's usual bored tone while he ate. The family talked happily and Sota peppered Takao with questions, only to get chastised by Nodoka. Kagome's gratherfather eyed Takao for a short while but calmly went back to eating with his family, accepting Nodoka's rule with relative grace.

"So how long are you staying, sis?" Sota asked, looking at Kagome between glances at Takao. They had just finished talking about some of things that had happened in the feudal era, which had surprised Midori slightly. Apparently, Nodoka wanted to keep tabs on who Kagome was friends with, even 500 years into the past. This greatly amused Midori.

"Only a few days. I have a test tomorrow and...!" Kagome dropped her chopsticks, looking thunderstruck. "I have a test tomorrow! I don't have time for a relaxing meal!"

Quickly, Kagome finished eating in record time, excused herself from the table and ran upstairs to her room. Midori just chuckled and gathered up Kagome's dishes, passing then to Nodoka with a polite smile. Takao looked as if he didn't quite understand, but since Midori looked so calm, he just let it go.

"Midori, didn't you say that you came from this era?" Nodoka asked kindly, pouring another cup of tea for Kagome's grandfather. "Did you finish school?"

"Ah, hai. I was privately tutored though." Midori explained, curious as to why Nodoka was asking all of a sudden. "Why do you ask?"

"Would you mind helping Kagome with her studies? She's been so busy lately that whenever she comes home, all she does is sleep. I'm afraid she'll start failing her classes soon." Nodoka replied with a pitiable smile.

"You're a good mother, Nodoka." Midori smiled and then she nodded, finishing her food. Takao seemed to know what was going on, because he had finished his food and was already passing his dishes to Nodoka when Midori stood. "Alright, time to go help Kagome study!"

Together, they excused themselves and walked up to Kagome's room. Kagome sounded like she was about to panic, tossing books around after glancing at the contents and not understanding any of it. Midori opened the door with a grin and dodged a flying book, which Takao calmly caught, and walked into Kagome's room.

"Yo! Nodoka-kachan wants me to help you study." Midori announced, picking up all of Kagome's tossed books and stacking them on the small table in the center of the room. Kagome just stared at Midori in wide-eyed disbelief that she had just heard her mother referred to as 'Nodoka-kachan'.

"Mom asked you?" Kagome blinked as she sat down at the table.

"Yeah. And if you think my combat training is rough, just you wait." Midori grinned slyly and sat down, followed by Takao.

Midori and Kagome talked about the impending test, and Midori nodded, remembering all too well what she had been studying when she was Kagome's age. Midori picked up a book and shoved it in front of Kagome, opening it to the right page and telling her to read. While Kagome was reading, Midori flipped though the other books and bookmarked them for later reading. Nodoka eventually came upstairs with tea and crackers and was pleasantly surprised to see Kagome working so hard, so she set down the tea and quietly left.

Takao had been sitting at the table looking painfully bored while Midori helped Kagome study. Midori had just begun writing notes for Kagome when a book's cover caught Takao's interest. He looked at it for a moment, not wanting to interrupt Kagome's studies, but the book seemed to go unnoticed for some time. Curiousity getting the better of him, he picked up the book and began to read.

"Midori-sama.." Takao said, looking up from his book, his eyes holding an unfamiliar sparkle. "Is this book accurate?"

"Eh? Lemme see the cover.." Midori said, sounding exhausted when she looked up from Kagome's notes. Takao held up the book and Midori saw that he was reading Kagome's biology textbook. "Wait.. How long have you been reading that?"

"I started reading when you started writing." Takao answered, only vaguely noticing a tinge of pink on Midori's cheeks. "There was a slip of paper inside and I was curious about what the book taught."

"Kagome.." Midori looked over at Kagome, who was looking at the book with wide eyes. "What did you need to bookmark for Biology?"

"Nerves and hormones in the human body.." Kagome squeaked, a blush forming on her cheeks.

"Did it have diagrams?" Midori asked, ignoring the slight waver in her voice.

"Yeah.." Kagome nodded slightly. "The "exploded view" type.."

Takao just sat there, looking back and forth between Midori and Kagome, wondering why they were suddenly so embarassed. And then he turned the page and saw a picture of the female human anatomy, with labels signifying the location of nerves and he quickly understood. Without another word, he snapped the book closed and set it down on the table, busying himself with looking over his swords and pretending the rising heat on his cheeks wasn't there. After the fiasco with the Biology book, Midori tutored Kagome long into the night untill it was almost morning and they decided to get some sleep.


	18. The Only Exception

Nodoka had woken everyone that morning with a strong tea and a healthy meal. Kagome was running around like a mad woman, tugging on her uniform and grabbing her bag to go to school. Midori and Takao had decided to help out Nodoka, offering to do the chores and make lunch while she and Kagome's grandfather went out to run errands. Midori had decided to move past her feelings. She would not slow everyone down while she was mourning her broken heart. Instead, she would do everything she could to make her friends and family happy. This was not only what she wanted, but what she needed.

It had been fun, trying to explain all the modern day technology to Takao, and he seemed genuinely interested in his own way. Midori had gone to take out the trash and came back to find Takao playing with a light switch in the kitchen, and she had been unable to control her laughter when she saw his expression of wonder.

Since today was the beginning of the Obon Festival, Kagome's grandfather had asked Midori and Takao to put up the lanterns for him. It was all great fun, carefully stringing all of the lanterns together and hanging them about the shrine. Midori gathered boxes of candles and placed them around the shrine, carefully lighting each one as Takao hauled heavy boxes of decorations and set them up around the Sacred Tree and the well shrine.

When the chores had been taken care of, Midori had decided to surprise Nodoka by making both lunch and dinner for the whole family. Takao watched from the doorway as Midori flitted around the kitchen, washing, preparing, cooking, and packing away the meals in plastic boxes and stowing them away in the fridge.

Nodoka and Kagome's grandfather came back soon after and Nodoka had been pleasantly surprised to see that lunch and dinner had already been made. The sun was beginning it's descent and Midori had just finished making tea, serving Nodoka, Kagome's grandfather, Takao, and herself before sitting down at the table feeling pleasantly exhausted.

"I'm back!" Kagome cried throughout the house as the front door opened and closed. Midori sat up with a sigh and poured another cup of tea, setting it aside for Kagome. "Someone put up all of the Obon lanterns! The shrine looks so pretty! Oh, and I smell food!"

"Yes, dear." Nodoka smiled at her daughter as Kagome peered into the den. "Midori and Takao put up the Obon lanterns while you were at school. Now come in and sit down, Midori just poured you some tea."

"Did Midori cook too? This smells like her cooking." Kagome said absent-mindedly as she sat down at the table, looking a little more pleased with herself than normal.

"Yeah, I made lunch and dinner today. It's all packed away in the fridge, all you have to do is heat it up in the oven if you want some." Midori said, looking closely at Kagome. "So? How'd the test go?"

"It went great! Even my crabby math teacher was impressed!" Kagome cheered, her smile beaming. "I'm actually surprised that it was that easy.."

"Well, I'm glad you remembered everything." Midori grinned. "Now we just have to pick up the supplies we need and we should be all set."

"Oh, that reminds me!" Kagome said suddenly, and Midori could almost see the lightbulb over her head. "Mom, Midori said she wanted to go out and pick up some things while we're here. Is that alright?"

"I don't see why not." Nodoka said with a thoughtful smile. She reached for her purse and retrieved a bulky envelope and passed it to Midori. "Since you did so much for us, you can buy whatever you need. The money is in there."

"Whoa!" Midori looked down into the envelope and flipped through the paper bills. "Nodoka-kachan, you're totally loaded!"

"Kukuku! I don't like to brag, but I'm rather good with money!" Nodoka hid her smile behind her hand with insincere modesty, her eyes sparkling. "Today is the beginning of the Obon Festival, so while you're out, could you pick up some ohagi for the family?"

"Sure, I can do that." Midori nodded. "If I had known that you'd want ohagi, I would have made some.

"Oh, don't worry about it dear." Nodoka said with a smile. "Now go on upstairs and change. I set out a kimono on my bed along with everything else you'll need. I figure since today is a festival, you and Takao will be able to walk around in kimono without causing much of a fuss. You'll be able to enjoy yourselves!"

"Uh.. Alright.." Midori said a little apprehensively, but she excused herself and walked upstairs as she was told.

A few minutes later, Midori walked down the stairs and Takao looked up at her, his eyes widening slightly. Midori was glittering in the light, her kimono made of shimmering silver silk, and it had darker grey stormclouds embroidered around the shoulders. Thin dashes of white and blue silk threads made up the rain that fell from the shoulders to the hem of the kimono, where a field of blue azaeleas wrapped around Midori's legs. Midori's obi was a rich blue, matching the azaeleas, and trimmed with silver ribbon. Midori had pulled her long black hair back into a loose bun and a silver ribbon had been woven into it.

"Well now I _knew_ that would look wonderful on you!" Nodoka beamed, watching as Midori carefully walked through the doorway. "Your eyes are so pretty, Midori-chan! They're so pale, they nearly match the silver!"

"I'm not used to wearing something as elegant as this, Nodoka-kachan.." Midori mumbled, blushing slightly and looking nervous. "Are you sure you want me to wear this?"

"Oh, don't worry about it! I haven't worn that since I was your age, dear. It's nice that someone finally gets to enjoy it." Nodoka smiled, leading Midori to stand next to Takao with a sly wink. "There now. Off you go, enjoy yourselves, and don't forget the ohagi on your way back!"

By now, the sun had set and the only thing to light the sky was the stars. It was the night of the new moon, but what replaced the moonlight was another kind of glow. Red and white lanterns had been strung up all over the city, and Midori and Takao stood at the top of the shrine steps looking out at the world as an orange and golden glow seemed to almost move around them on the breeze. In the distance, Midori could hear drums and flutes and the merriment of humans as they celebrated their ancestors, and she couldn't help smiling.

* * *

><p>Sesshoumaru walked through a dark forest in silence. He had left Rin and Jaken in a field somewhere near a river and they were safe and that's all that really mattered. His attention was on other things. He remembered when he had found out that Midori and her friends had disappeared the night of the Midsummer festival, and he had tried to find her scent but it seemed like it had vanished completely, like she had been made of nothingness.<p>

Sesshoumaru had instead been following the next best thing. He was carefully following the scents of Inuyasha and his friends since they had left the Rabbit Demon village. He hadn't been within sight of them for some time, but he had been following their scents, often times leaving Rin and Jaken in a field somewhere while he went to investigate old camp sites that had been abandoned.

He had approached them once, searching for Midori, only to hear that she had left them, searching on her own for a way to kill Naraku. Somehow that didn't make sense to him, and it felt wrong. He couldn't explain it, but his instincts had told him she was still nearby even though there wasn't even the faintest trace of her scent to be found anywhere.

But Inuyasha and his friends were moving south at a surprising pace, and one day Midori's vassals, Kotone and Takao, had joined them. This had been most suspicious, but he had still found no traces of Midori at the camp. Now, it was the night of the new moon, and Sesshoumaru was walking through the forest near where Inuyasha and his friends had stopped. It was the same forest where his stupid hanyou brother had gotten himself sealed to a tree by his lover.

Sesshoumaru walked out of the forest and into a clearing and was mildly surprised by what he saw. It was still far from the village, but Midori's scent was here, but it was faint, like she hadn't been here in weeks. The ground had been torn up, trees had been lopped in half, even boulders had been reduced to rubble. This had been her training grounds. Sesshoumaru smirked to himself, thinking that Midori was probably the only person besides himself that could consider such utter destruction to be training.

An image of Midori's face flashed before Sesshoumaru's eyes and in that moment, he froze. It was the night of the Midsummer festival. She had been standing in front of him, looking over her shoulder with the village lights shimmering behind her. Everything about her in that instant had suggested she was perfectly content, but that had been the moment when he had pushed her away. She had been smiling, but it had seemed too perfect and that had bothered him ever since.

Sesshoumaru started walking again, letting his instincts guide him even though he wasn't really focusing on where he was going. He had been foolish to push her away like that, especially since she was his best chance at getting to Naraku. He had been taught as a child not to care, not to feel, as emotions would only bring weakness. That training had been given to him by his own mother and father, and it was cemented into Sesshoumaru's mind the moment his father died because of his emotions.

In that moment, he vowed to himself never to let his emotions rule him like that. He would never let his emotions lead him to his doom, and it was better if he were alone to reduce the temptation to feel. He had thought that companions were merely a distraction, and that he would never have need of them. That hadn't changed much when Jaken had sworn servitude to him, but when he had found Rin, it had begun to change little by little. And now, after meeting Midori, he was at war with himself.

Sesshoumaru stopped walking. He looked up to find himself in a clearing on a hill, overlooking a small village nestled into a valley. Small white flowers dotted the lush, ankle-high grass, and in the center of the field stood an old well. The scents of Inuyasha and his friends, as well as Midori's vassals seemed to surround the well and he walked up to it, curious. Could this be the well that connected this time with the future?

"Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha's voice caused Sesshoumaru to turn in mild surprise. Inuyasha was standing on the path leading to the village with his hand on the hilt of his sword. He looked different. Instead of silver hair, his hair was black, and his dog ears had transformed into normal human ears.

"I see. So, you transform into a human on the night of the new moon?" Sesshoumaru said coldly, turning back to look at the well. He heard Inuyasha walk up behind him, the grass rustling beneath his feet.

"What are you doing here?" Inuyasha growled, never taking his eyes from his brother.

"I'm looking for Midori." Sesshoumaru stated plainly. "It's rather curious that Kagome's scent is coming from the well, and yet I do not see her inside. This must be the Bone Eater's well that connects this time to the future."

"So what if it is? You can't get through!" Inuyasha scoffed, seeming pleased.

Sesshoumaru ignored Inuyasha's remark and jumped down into the well, hearing Inuyasha's noisy shouting from above him as he was enveloped in a blue light before his feet reached the ground. Sesshoumaru looked around cautiously as he floated through the blue light, startled by the unfamiliar sensation as he gripped the hilt of his sword. After a while, his feet touched the bottom of the well and strange, distant sounds and scents surrounded him.

"Hn.. Interesting." Sesshoumaru thought to himself as he looked up. He could see a wooden roof above him instead of the night sky he had been expecting to see. With one great leap, Sesshoumaru sprung from the depths of the well and landed gracefully on the ground. The scent of Midori's vassal, Takao, reached his nose and he smirked. "Very interesting."

Just as Sesshoumaru was about to climb the steps to the wooden door of the well shrine, another blue light shined up from the darkness of the well. Sesshoumaru turned to see Inuyasha climbing out of the well, looking angry despite the flicker of fear in his eyes.

"Sesshoumaru! Get back through the well!" Inuyasha growled, climbing out of the well and charging towards his brother. "You're not supposed to be here!"

"I don't have time for you, little brother." Sesshoumaru said coldly, taking hold of Inuyasha's throat in the blink of an eye, stopping the hanyou in his tracks. Sesshoumaru held Inuyasha just high enough that his feet couldn't touch the ground as he slowly walked back towards the well.

With one simple act, Sesshoumaru dropped Inuyasha into the well, and a blue light took hold of him as he disappeared. Sesshoumaru wasn't about to allow himself to be distracted. He was going to be the one to kill Naraku, and to do that he needed Midori. Sesshoumaru turned and left the well shrine, casually and calmly as though he was _meant_ to be there. Her vassal's scent was near, and when he found the vassal, he would find Midori.

* * *

><p>Midori and Takao had left the shrine and walked hand in hand to the festival grounds. Festival carts had been set up, brightly decorated with red and gold ribbons and red paper lanterns lined the walkways. All around them, people were visiting the carts, buying trinkets or food, playing games and conversing with one another, and a sense of merriment filled the air.<p>

Midori had led Takao to the carts with games and she had explained the rules. At each cart, they had a duel to see who would win the most prizes and it soon became apparent that Takao was letting her win. She had pouted at him for a little while, but then her hunger had gotten the better of her when she saw the food carts. Taiyaki, Yakisoba, Dango, Mochi, Okonomiyaki, and Yakitori.. But one thing in particular had caught Midori's attention, and she made a beeline for it.

"Takoyaki!" Midori squealed, taking Takao by surprise as she quickly bought two and bounced over to him, looking like a happy child. She held a stick of skewered, grilled octopus in each hand and she thrust one out to him with a huge smile.

After they had eaten, she seemed to settle down, linking her arm with his as they strolled down the walkway, watching the people enjoy themselves as they passed. They stopped at a trinket shop near the end of the walkway, and Midori took her time picking out one thing for everyone, and when they left the vendor was _very_ pleased by his profits.

Midori carried her sizeable bag of gifts and Takao carried the bag of ohagi as they followed the crowd to the nearby river. It was quite a scene. Everyone was carrying paper lanterns in their hands, sometimes two or three per person. Once they reached the river, the lanterns were lit and set into the water one by one. Some had messages to deceased loved ones, others were left blank as they followed the lazy current out to sea.

"Midori-sama.." Takao began as they strolled down the river quietly. "What is the purpose of those lanterns?"

"Haven't you seen an Obon Festival before?" Midori asked, looking slightly surprised.

"No. I've spent most of my life in the village, and we don't have traditions like this." Takao answered.

"Alright, well.. People believe that Obon is the day that the spirits of loved ones return to visit their living relatives." Midori explained, looking down the river as they came to a stop in a quiet park. "The purpose of the lanterns is to guide those spirits back to their place in the afterlife. Many people believe that a river is something like a door between two worlds."

"Have you ever done it?" Takao asked, his eyes soft as he looked at Midori.

"Done what?" Midori asked, looking over her shoulder with a quizzical expression.

"Sent a lantern down the river," Takao replied. "To guide your ancestors to the afterlife."

"No." Midori sighed softly. "I haven't done that before. I was never allowed to before I left the shrine."

"Would you like to?" Takao asked, his deep voice somehow softer, more understanding. "We have plenty of time before the festival ends. I saw someone selling lanterns back at the festival grounds."

"Actually.." Midori began, turning to face Takao with a slight smile. "I'd like that."

Takao held his arm out to Midori and she took it, walking back towards the festival grounds once again. Within a few minutes, they had located the vendor selling the lanterns and Takao stood back while Midori purchased a white paper lantern. Smiling, she paid the vendor and was turning back to smile at Takao when her gaze locked on a pair of familiar molten-gold eyes, staring at her intensely from the shadows.

Sesshoumaru was staring at her, his breath stolen away. She was standing there amidst the crowd of humans, her vassal by her side. She stood out from the crowd like a single ray of moonlight, shimmering in the golden glow of the lanterns around her, but it was almost as if the golden light couldn't touch her at all, instead she glowed with her own inner light. She looked human now, but even without her markings or her tails she looked almost ethereal. Midori had been smiling, a more natural smile than he had ever seen before, and then she had seen him and the smile vanished like smoke in a breeze. Her eyes widened and she recoiled as though he were a snake about to strike, and the lantern slipped from her fingers. For a brief moment, Sesshoumaru could see real, tangible pain in her eyes, as though she had been stabbed in the heart.

"Hey, you dropped your lantern, lady."

"Midori-sama? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Midori's cool voice spoke up through the din of the crowd, and all at once her face formed a crystalline mask of the smile from Sesshoumaru's memory. He was startled by how quickly she had hidden her pain from the world, and now he was starting to understand. She slowly knelt down and picked up the lantern, looking away from Sesshoumaru as she and Takao walked down towards the river in silence.

Midori's face may have been calm, but inside she was a wreck. Sesshoumaru was here! How did he get through the well? How did he find her? Midori's mind was reeling around madly, but she calmly lit the lantern she was carrying and walked to the riverbank. She knelt down and placed the small white lantern in the cold, dark water, almost wishing she could slip into the river and drift on the current, disappearing like those many lanterns. She knew he was watching her, she could feel his gaze on her, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. It was unsettling to say the least.

"Midori-sama?" Takao sounded concerned.

"I'm alright, Takao." Midori stood and turned, smiling as though nothing was wrong. "We should head back now. Kagome is waiting for us."

"Alright.." Takao said with an apprehensive nod.

Together, they walked back to the shrine in silence, and Sesshoumaru continued to follow them. Midori took the bags from Takao and walked to the front door of the house, setting them just inside the door before she turned and walked to the Sacred Tree. A chill wind blew through the shrine, rustling the leaves of the great tree and the shadows seemed to dance menacingly. The night-birds cackled as though they thought the scene playing out before them was the most amusing of tortures, for that's what this was to Midori. Torture. Midori closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she turned away from the tree.

"Sesshoumaru." Midori said, her voice clear and unwavering. Takao stood a few feet away, looking on as Sesshoumaru appeared from the shadows behind the well shrine. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to find you." Sesshoumaru said, and Midori's breath hitched in her throat. She looked up at him as he walked up to her and took hold of her shoulders, his grip tight and painful. "You're coming back with me."

"Why should I?" Midori cried, trying to pull away from Sesshoumaru's touch. She struggled, gripping his wrists and trying to pry him off of her, but to no avail. He was still much stronger than her.

"Because Naraku is after you, fool!" Sesshoumaru's grip tightened and he shook her once to make her stop struggling. She stilled and looked up at him with wide eyes, a hint of fear and anguish mingling within her gaze. "I will keep you by my side untill Naraku comes for you, and then I will kill him!"

A moment of silence passed as the three shadowy figures stood still. Midori looked away from Sesshoumaru, letting her gaze drop slowly. Her hair covered her eyes and Sesshoumaru could no longer see her expression, but her scent had returned in full force, followed by her snowy tails and crimson markings. Midori let her mask drop, revealing everything behind it. Midori moved with a determination, her arm brushing aside Sesshoumaru's hand, raising up and curling into a fist before she punched him squarely in the jaw, sending him skittering back a few steps in surprise.

"BAKA!" Midori shouted, glaring directly at Sesshoumaru, her jadefire eyes speaking of pure agony. A light flipped on nearby and a door opened. Soon, Kagome and her family left the house and ran up to see Midori, staring down Sesshoumaru. Midori's tails were whipping around behind her in an unexpressable fury, and her shoulders were trembling with the force of her emotions.

"You come all the way to the modern era to find me, only to tell me you want to use me as _bait_?" Midori shouted, standing her ground as she glared at Sesshoumaru, tears welling up in her eyes. Sesshoumaru could only watch, stunned by the severity of her words and emotions. "How _dare_ you? I thought you would at least have the common _decency_ to apologize for breaking my heart!"

"What _possible_ reason would I need to apologize for breaking the heart of a foolish girl?" Sesshoumaru hissed, his own anger welling up inside of him. He could feel the waves of terrible youki flowing off of her, feel the heat that whirled around Midori like a cyclone while small green sparks flashed at the tips of her tails. He would not allow this foolish girl, who had spent her life as a human, to rule his emotions any longer.

"Go back!" Midori growled, a dark and dangerous sound. Slowly, she turned and walked away, brushing passed Takao and Kagome, and her startled family.

"Not without you!" Sesshoumaru yelled, taking a few steps towards Midori, but he was promptly blocked by Takao and Kagome.

"Leave her alone, Sesshoumaru!" Kagome shouted, her eyes dark brown eyes hardened and glittering with resentment. Nodoka and Sota stood a short distance away, looking on in fear of what might happen to the girl, but Kagome stood her ground.

Sesshoumaru paused, tearing his furious gaze from Midori's retreating back as she disappeared into the house. Takao stood between Sesshoumaru and Midori, his deep black eyes speaking of pure hatred and intent to kill. Kagome was standing beside him with her hands on her hips, her own expression full of white hot rage. Even Kagome's grandfather seemed cross, holding up a handfull of paper ofuda.

"If you're not man enough to apologize to Midori, then you have no business here!" Kagome said, anger apparent in her voice. "Go back to your own time, Sesshoumaru!"

Sesshoumaru glared at them, releasing a feral snarl before he turned and stalked back into the well shrine. He shoved the door open and disappeared into the darkness of the well without another word.

* * *

><p>Midori had turned and walked back into the house, rejecting everything that was Sesshoumaru. She had left her feelings for him behind and walked up to Kagome's room, closing the door behind her. The room that had once seemed so colorful and cheerful was now black and white. Midori carefully removed the kimono she had borrowed from Nodoka, having some difficulty with the obi because of her trembling hands, but she finally managed. She laid the kimono and the obi across the bed and tugged the silver ribbon from her hair in one smooth motion, letting her hair fall down her shoulders. Her tails were still thrashing and curling around behind her, but she ignored them as she dug around in her bag for her own kimono.<p>

She found it quickly, pulling the fabric loose from the leather bag, but then she paused, looking down at it in her hands. It was the kimono that Sesshoumaru had given her, the sage green silk and faded gold shimmering with iridescence in the bright electric lights. This was the only kimono she had not ruined in battle.

"_I had it made. It's for you._" Sesshoumaru's words echoed through her memory hauntingly.

"No!" Midori growled softly, gripping the fabric in her claws. She sank to her knees, kneeling in the center of the room, naked, clutching the kimono with trembling hands as tears escaped from her eyes. "No!"

"Midori-chan?" It was Kagome's voice on the other side of the door. Midori couldn't answer, and she couldn't stop her from opening the door to find Midori tearing the kimono to tiny shreds, leaving only her family crests around the collar intact. "Midori-chan!"

"I can't believe him!" Midori cried, tears streaming down her face. She looked up to see Kagome and Takao standing in the doorway, looking shocked when they saw her, kneeling naked on the floor surrounded by shreds of her elegant kimono. "Was he just _using me_ all this time?"

"I'm so sorry, Midori-chan!" Kagome gasped, walking over to Midori and wrapping her arms around the trembling girl. Takao walked into the room and closed the door behind him quietly, sitting down beside it to stop anyone else from coming in. He was silent, but Midori could smell the anger in his scent. He was angry with Sesshoumaru for making his Lady cry. Kagome held Midori close, gently smoothing her hair untill Midori's tears subsided and her shoulders stopped trembling.

"You should probably put some clothes on, Midori-chan.." Kagome smiled weakly, brushing away the last of Midori's tears. "You'll catch a cold if you sit around like that."

"Eh.. At least we'd find out if idiots really do catch colds." Midori managed a weak chuckle, but she nodded and pulled her hiyoku from her bag, slipping it over her shoulders. "On second thought, I don't want to be sick with a cold when we go back to the feudal era. Inuyasha would just make fun of me."

"Midori-sama.." Takao's voice startled Midori with it's sudden seriousness. Midori looked by the door to see Takao, with his sword laid in front of him and his head bowed, awaiting orders. "If you wish it, I will go and avenge your honor."

"It's alright, Takao. Raise your head." Midori smiled faintly, and Takao straightened, looking at her with slight surprise at her gentle tone and a slight laugh. "I feel better now that I've cried. And I finally ruined my last kimono."

"Yeah, this time it just took a few weeks." Kagome chuckled, patting Midori's head lovingly as she knelt at Midori's side. "We'll go out tomorrow and get you some new clothes. I even know a place were they can embroider your family crest onto clothes for you."

"That sounds like a plan." Midori sighed softly, exhaustion slowly creeping through her like ivy now that she had calmed down.

"You look tired." Kagome said, brushing some of Midori's hair away from her face. "Get some sleep. I'll tell Mom and Gramps that you're okay now. They looked pretty worried about you when that jerkface left. I thought Mom was gunna hit him over the head with a frying pan!"

"Oh gods! That would have been a sight!" Midori laughed feebly, imagining Nodoka chasing after Sesshoumaru with a frying pan, shouting obscenities. "I can actually see her doing that, too!"

After a little while of laughter, Takao seemed to calm down, and he and Kagome put Midori to bed. Takao took his place beside the bed, his sword propped up beside him as Kagome went downstairs and told her family that everything was alright now. Midori drifted off to sleep slowly, listening to Takao's gentle breathing as she allowed the warmth of Kagome's home to seep through her.

* * *

><p>"Ohh! This one looks nice!" Kagome turned to Midori, holding up a sunshine-yellow sundress with white trim.<p>

"No way. Yellow isn't my color." Midori scrunched her nose at it and shook her head, looking through clothing racks absent-mindedly.

Midori, Kagome and Takao had left the shrine that afternoon to go clothing shopping. Midori was wearing clothes that Kagome had lent her, which turned out to be a pair of denim shorts and a pale blue tank top that was too tight around the bust and didn't properly cover her stomache. She had gotten a few stares, mostly from men as they passed by, but they seemed to quickly look away when they saw Takao, glowering at them from behind the girls. Everyone seemed to think he was some kind of Yakuza boss, wearing a kimono in this day and age and looking totally scary while he followed the two girls.

And now the three of them were in a quiet clothing store looking through the clothing racks as Takao watched protectively from a short distance away. When Midori and Kagome slipped into the lingerie section, Takao had politely stood outside without a word, politely waiting for them to finish. He seemed more alert than usual, Midori noted, but she supposed that was only natural now that they knew Sesshoumaru could get through the well. When they left the lingerie section, he resumed following them, walking behind them as they entered a section for dresses.

"How about this one?" Kagome held up a lacy tank top and skirt combo for Midori's inspection.

"Pink. And lace." Midori grimaced noticeably. "I don't care for pink."

"Geez, you're picky! I would wear these in a heartbeat!" Kagome grouched jokingly, putting the clothing back on the rack.

"And that's why you will continually have the air of innocence around you, Kagome-chan." Midori joked just as her hand brushed against a silky fabric, catching her eye. A sly grin spread across her face as smoothly as melted butter. "This looks good."

"You can't be serious.." Kagome breathed, her eyes widening when she saw what Midori was holding up. "That's..! There's no way!"

"Oh yeah!" Midori grinned, handing Kagome her bags. She strode over to the changing booths, carrying the clothing in one arm and waving with the other. "I'm gunna try it on!"

"Takao! Stop her!" Kagome whined at Takao, who was standing a safe distance away, but it was too late.

Midori tugged off her clothes and quickly changed into the dress. Just as Takao reached the changing booth, Midori yanked back the curtain with a flourish of motion, a sly grin spreading across her face as she watched Takao's and Kagome's expressions change wildly. Midori walked out of the changing booth with slow and sultry steps, enjoying the gentle tug of the silky fabric against her skin.

Midori stood between them, grinning playfully when she struck a seductive pose. She was wearing a sleeveless black silk cheongsam with a rising sun design on the left shoulder. The hem of the dress reached down to her ankles, but a delicate slit ran up each side, reaching up to about mid-thigh, exposing her milky-white legs. There was a diamond-shaped cut in the fabric over her cleavage, and the thin silk hugged her body, showing off each perfect curve of Midori's body.

"That's so indecent!" Kagome screeched, blushing furiously as she looked over Midori, surprising a few of the other shoppers. Takao just stood frozen in place, staring in shock, gaping at Midori.

"I know!" Midori giggled, moving around a bit to get a feel for the dress. "Isn't it great? Oh look, there's a white one with butterflies on it! Kotone would _love_ that!"

Much to Kagome's dismay, and Takao's surprise, Midori quickly bought three different cheongsams. The black one with the rising sun design, the white one with the blue butterfly pattern, and a pale pink one with a pinwheel design on the hip. Midori grinned pointedly at Kagome when she purchased the pink one, and Kagome went pale, already feeling the impending doom.

"Alright. Now we have to find a place to get my family crest stitched onto these..." Midori mused, leaving the store sometime later with a bag full of clothes. Kagome looked exhausted.

"Okay, okay. Come on, I'll take you to the embroidery place." Kagome sighed, looking completely disenchanted as she led Midori and Takao down a quiet sidestreet.

The three of them walked for a short while, passing by small shops and businesses that looked to be family-owned. Midori smiled, watching the people around her go about their day as she passed. It was nice watching families walking around, their children in tow, happily laughing and talking as though they didn't have a care in the world. But then the people around her lessened as the crowd thinned, untill they were the only people on the street and Midori came to a stop when the scent of a demon reached her nose.

"Kagome, hang on a second." Midori said, looking around. Takao stopped as well, his eyes alert as he and Midori scanned their surroundings.

"Midori-chan? Takao-kun? What's wrong?" Kagome asked, apparently oblivious to any possible danger.

"I smell a demon, Kagome." Midori said, slowly and cautiously following the scent. The smell of silk, tobacco and heavy incense mingled to create the demon's scent, and the three friends followed it around a corner and down a small hill, moving silently as they walked up to a small building.

It was an odd looking two-story building, nestled between two high-rise apartment buildings, with a high wooden fence surrounding it. The outside of the building looked almost European, but the garden around it was distinctly Japanese. Midori walked through the gate, followed by Takao and Kagome, and almost instantly Midori's defenses were forcefully dropped. Midori's scent flowed freely and her tails and markings became visible. Midori looked to Takao to find that he had transformed back into his fox form, standing on his hind-legs and looking just as surprised as Midori.

"Ah.. I see that our customers have arrived." A sultry feminine voice said. Midori turned to see a woman standing in the front door of the building with a mysterious half-smile as she leaned against the door frame. Two identical girls wearing matching kimonos stood beside her, even their knowing smiles were identical. "Don't be shy. Come in, come in."

"What is this place?" Midori asked the woman, her eyes narrowing warily. The woman just chuckled. It was a musical sound, meant to put people at ease, but it seemed to put Midori more on edge than normal. The woman was wearing a honeysuckle gold kimono with a faded red spiderlily pattern, a black obi around her middle, tied with an orange silk sash. The woman's crimson eyes seemed all-knowing and almost challenging, but still she wore a simple, mysterious smile and she held a long silver pipe with still-smouldering tobacco in the bowl.

"Do not be afraid, little Kitsune." The woman chuckled as she brushed away a lock of her long black hair from her face. Something about this woman seemed to ignite Midori's curiousity and she slowly let her guard down, walking towards the building apprehensively. "You have come to this place for a reason, after all. You seek a service, do you not?"

"A service?" Midori asked, coming to a stop in front of the woman. The two girls beside her giggled quietly. The girls had long, pale-colored hair tied back in pigtails, and they wore matching kimonos of faded pink and blue, but something about their eyes seemed off. They had no emotions in their eyes.

"Creepy!" Kagome shuddered behind Midori and clung to Takao, who had a paw on the hilt of his sword.

"Hai," The woman answered Midori simply, turning and walking into the house, the two girls beckoning them inside. "You require a seal sewn onto your armor. I can do that for you."

"Forgive me if this comes across as rude.." Midori began, walking into the building. Walls of shoji screens formed rooms inside the building, and the heady scent of incense seemed to envelope the group as they walked into a smaller room just inside the door. A young man in a black school uniform and a white apron sat in a corner quietly, looking mildly exasperated as he cleaned his glasses with his sleeve. "But who are you?"

"Oh, now she's done it." The young man sighed, replacing the glasses on his face as the twin girls sat on either side of him.

"My name is Akikumo." The woman said with a flourish as she sat down on a purple satin chaise lounge. Once Midori, Takao and Kagome had entered the room, the sliding screen doors behind them snapped closed on their own, startling Kagome. "And I am the only one who can fulfill your need."

"I just need my family crest sewn onto my dresses." Midori said dryly, staring down the overly-ostentatious woman before her, an eyebrow raised. Akikumo seemed amused by this, so Midori thought it safe to assume the woman had very little challengers. "It's really nothing so grand. I could just go down to the convenience store and pick up some thread to do it myself if I really wanted to."

"Ah, but you were led here to my shop instead." Akikumo said with a calculating smile, setting down her pipe and sitting up, holding out her delicate hand to Midori. "It's fate."

"Ugh. Call it what you want. I don't care anymore." Midori said bluntly as she rolled her eyes, handing her shopping bag to Akikumo.

Akikumo reached into the bag and retrieved two cheongsams, the black one and the white one, passing over the pink one that Midori had bought for Kagome. Midori watched Akikumo carefully as she reached over to the end table next to her, plucking a small bone needle from a purple silk pincushion.

"Hold out your hand, Midori." Akikumo instructed. Midori was mildly surprised that this woman knew her name, but she did as she was told, extending her hand to the woman, palm up. The woman suddenly pricked Midori's index finger with the needle, drawing blood.

"Midori-sama!" Takao cried, moving to protect Midori, but he was stopped by Midori.

"It's fine, Takao." Midori said, her eyes narrowing on Akikumo's mysterious smile as she drew the needle away. "It's already healed."

Akikumo held the needle poised over the fabric as a thin red silk thread materialized from the needle. The scent from the thread matched Midori's blood before it faded to that of normal spider's silk.

"Would you show me what's in your pocket?" Akikumo pointed to Midori's pocket, looking amused as Takao glared at her. Kagome was silent, standing behind Midori and Takao, watching the scene play out.

"Sure." Midori sighed, pulling a scrap of sage-colored silk from her pocket. It was the one scrap left of the kimono that Sesshoumaru had given her, and it had her family crest printed on it. Midori handed the scrap to Akikumo, who took it between her fingers delicately, as though it would burn her if she touched it too much.

Once Akikumo had seen Midori's family crest, she bent over the cheongsams, working quickly. Using the red silk thread, she stitched the crescent moon on the collars, followed by the simple flame design in the center of the crescent, but she didn't stop there. Midori watched, curious, as Akikumo took the black cheongsam and stitched in a small spider hanging from a thread on the other side of the collar. It was so small, it was barely noticeable, and the silk thread turned black when it was completed, hiding against the already black silk of the fabric.

"What was that for?" Midori asked dryly, an eyebrow raised when Akikumo returned the needle to the pincushion and handed Midori her dresses.

"Do not mind the little spider." Akikumo said with a mysterious smile. "It will do you no harm. I am curious how you three will fare on your journey, so I will occasionally watch through the eyes of that spider to see how you are doing. If you need to contact me again, you can use that spider to do it."

"So you're a voyeur?" Midori smirked, stuffing the dresses back into the shopping bag. The young man sitting in the corner had been silent up untill now, but now he was trying to hide his laughter behind his hand. "I seem to attract the most interesting people some days. First an emotionally frozen dog demon and now a perverted spider demoness."

Akikumo shot the young man a glare and he quickly stopped laughing as Midori sighed lamentably, finishing her remark with a mournful shrug. Midori slung the shopping bag over her shoulder and crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowing at Akikumo.

"So? What do I owe you?" Midori asked, her expression calculating. "I imagine you wouldn't do this for free. If you believe in fate, you must also believe in equal trade. Maintaining the balance and whatnot."

"Very clever." Akikumo turned her attention back to Midori with a sly smile. She held up the scrap of green silk between two long fingers for Midori to see. "I will keep this."

"My family crest?" Midori raised an eyebrow, but shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat, I guess."

Now that business was concluded, Midori, Takao and Kagome said their goodbyes. The young man in the school uniform showed them out and the three friends walked towards the shrine again. The sun was setting slowly, casting long shadows on the road ahead of them as they talked about the brazen Akikumo and the creepy twin girls. Kagome mentioned how the young man was wearing her school uniform, and he seemed vaguely familiar, but she couldn't remember his name.

Once they reached the shrine, the three friends collected their belongings quickly, enjoying a light meal and some tea with Kagome's family before they set out. They left the house, carrying their things to the well shrine. It was time to go back, and Midori was silently dreading the next time she ran into Sesshoumaru.


	19. Midori's Reincarnation

Midori, Takao and Kagome had returned through the well in the early afternoon and they were now walking through the village to Kaede's hut. Once they reached the doorway, Midori grinned when she heard her friends' voices from inside. It was a sunny day, cool for summer, and fluffy white clouds drifted overhead. It was looking like the beginning of a good day.

"Midori-chan!" Sango sat bolt-upright when Midori, Kagome and Takao walked into Kaede's hut.

"Midori!" Shippo immediately jumped into Midori's arms, smiling impishly.

"Midori! I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru was able to get through the well!" Inuyasha clamored, standing in front of Midori. "Are you hurt?"

"Hai, stop!" Midori commanded, crossing her arms in front of her, forming an X and all voices fell silent. "First, I'm fine. Second, Sesshoumaru shouldn't bother me again any time soon. Third, I brought presents!"

"Ooh! Presents!" Kotone and Shippo cheered in unison as Midori walked into the hut and set down her bags, followed by Kagome and Takao, and all three sat down by the fire and Midori began digging through her bags.

Midori passed out the gifts that she had bought from the Obon festival, grinning all the while. She handed Shippo a wooden whistle that had been painted with colorful stripes, and she handed Kotone her new white cheongsam and a jeweled butterfly hairpin. She gave Sango a silver bracelet that had all of the names of her friends engraved into small silver charms, and Sango stared down at her brother's name with a tearful smile. Midori gave Miroku a string of ornately carved jade prayer beads, and Inuyasha recieved a large box of his favorite beef ramen.

Midori grinned slyly and retrieved the last two presents from the large shopping bag and passed Kagome the pale pink cheongsam, which elicited a mortified groan when Miroku got curious. Midori handed Takao his present and he seemed to be surprised to recieve anything at all. He took his present with a smile, it was a wakizashi, a blade smaller than a katana, and the sheath was black laquer and painted with a scene of a grassy field, storm clouds gathering overhead as a single fox peered out from between the tall golden grass. Midori had seen it and immediately thought of Takao and hid it away in her bag before he could see it.

Once all the gifts had been recieved, everyone thanked Midori and happily inspected their new possessions. Midori watched them show off their gifts with a smile just as Kaede walked into the hut with an empty herb basket.

"Oh, hey Kaede! I have a gift for you too!" Midori beamed, getting to her feet and retrieving a small silk pouch from her leather satchel, walking over to Kaede. "Hand me that basket for a moment?"

"A gift..? Alright.." Kaede blinked, somewhat confused, but she passed the basket to Midori, who took it and sat down by the fire again. Kaede sat down by the fire as well, and watched Midori carefully.

Midori opened the silk pouch and dumped a handful of seeds into her hand. Kagome, Sango and Kaede gasped when they saw the seeds, knowing exactly what they were, but the others watched with curiousity. Midori set the pouch aside and closed her eyes, focusing her energy into the seeds and feeling them sprout in her palm, growing larger and larger untill they had fully matured. She held the plants over the herb basket and the seed pods curled open, releasing dozens of rare seeds into the basket.

"Midori-chan! Is that how you managed to get all of those herbs?" Kagome breathed, looking surprised as Midori quickly filled the basket with seeds and mature herbs.

"Yep. I found a seed three months ago and didn't know what it was. I was curious, so I tried to make it grow, like I do with leaves, and it turned into this rare herb. I collected the seeds and kinda used it to train my stamina and control my youki these last few weeks. All of the herbs I've given you guys are the offspring from that seed I found, and they seem to be getting stronger every time I grow them." Midori explained, placing the last of the mature plants into the now over-filled basket and passing it to a very surprised Kaede.

"And to think, we've spent all this time camping out when we could have sold off a bunch of herbs and lived like royalty!" Miroku sighed mournfully.

"That's exactly why I didn't tell you at first, baka monk." Midori said dryly, tying up her silk pouch and stowing it away in her leather satchel. "Because you would beg me for herbs to sell so you could visit every brothel we came across."

"Midori, these herbs.." Kaede began, carefully looking over the herbs Midori had given her. "They have grown so strongly because of your energy that they are barely recognizable. Have you ever used these herbs to heal yourself?"

"No, I've never needed to use them, actually. I usually just heal everyone with my youki directly." Midori replied, mildly curious. "Why do you ask?"

"Hm.. Come with me." Kaede took a single herb and left the hut. Curious, everyone else stood and followed.

The group followed Kaede through the village to a small hut near the rice fields. Children were playing outside, but they stopped and bowed when Kaede walked up. She returned the gesture in kind and disappeared into the hut for a few moments, returning with a young woman beside her. The young woman was thin and pale, and she had burn scars and bandages over most of her arms.

"Midori, I would like you to meet Suko." Kaede introduced Midori to the young girl and Midori bowed politely. The girl hid her arms in the sleeves of her kimono and bowed back, looking around nervously. "Suko is an orphan, and she was badly injured when her village was attacked by bandits and burned down ten years ago. She cares for the children of the village while their parents work in the rice fields during the day."

"It's nice to meet you, Suko." Midori smiled warmly. She had seen the girl around the village, mostly playing with the younger children as Midori passed by.

"Suko, Midori has given me this herb, and I would like to try something if you'll permit me." Kaede explained, showing Suko the herb she held. "You'll have to remove your bandages."

"A-alright.." Suko said faintly, her voice wavering slightly as she pulled her arms from her sleeves and slowly unraveled the tattered bandages from her arms, revealing the terrible burns that scarred her sun-bronzed skin.

Kaede pulled a few leaves from the herb and pinched each one between her fingers tightly, releasing a clear viscous fluid from the healthy leaves, and placed each one on Suko's outstretched arms. Soon, the small leaves covered Suko's hands and forearms and Kaede stood back.

"They feel cold.." Suko mumbled, looking down at her leaf-covered arms, fidgetting slightly.

"Give it a moment, child." Kaede said reassuringly.

After a few moments, a faint green light formed around Suko's forearms and a weak energy hummed through the air around the leaves. The leaves began to blacken as if they were burning, startling Suko, but she stayed still at Kaede's command. The leaves began to crackle and fall away, revealing smooth perfect skin where Suko's burns had once been.

"But.. How..?" Suko asked, looking shocked and bewildered, her gaze flickering between Kaede and Midori.

"How is that possible?" Kagome asked, stunned.

"Midori-sama said it herself back at the hut, didn't she?" Miroku said, taking a leaf from the plant Kaede was holding and looking at it closely, his eyes contemplative. "She said that the herbs had been growing healthier with each generation, affected by her youki as she grew plant after plant, collecting the seeds as she went along."

"You mean.. Midori-chan can enhance the properties of herbs?" Sango asked, a little taken aback. All eyes seemed to shift to Midori, who seemed just as surprised as everyone else.

"It would seem so." Kaede answered. "But doing so would require massive amounts of pure energy, much more than Kagome and my sister Kikyo combined. But that would be impossible, as Midori is a demon."

"You must have something confused.. I can't do all that!" Midori gaped, her jadefire eyes wide. "I just did that thing with the plants on a whim when I was bored!"

"You have seen the proof for yourself, child." Kaede gestured to Suko's arms, which were free of scars and burns, if a little sticky from the leaves. "If your herbs can heal burn scars from ten years ago, I can only imagine what other purposes they may have."

"Hey." Inuyasha suddenly spoke up, looking to Kagome. "What about Jinenji?"

"What about him, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, not understanding. Inuyasha just sighed and waited for Kagome to connect the dots on her own, and soon she did. "Oh! We could show Jinenji! He works on a farm with his mother not far from here! They grow plants that Jinenji's full demon father left them!"

"That may be wise. It might be a good idea to know more about what Midori's herbs can do." Miroku said, handing Kaede the leaf he had been inspecting before his tone changed completely and a stupid smile formed on his face. "That way I'll know what to charge when Midori gives me a-GACK!"

"Just stop it, Baka-monk." Sango grumbled, looking down at Miroku's unconscious body.

"Before you leave, I would like to set aside a small garden for Midori's herbs." Kaede said, leading the group back to her hut. "I may be able to find out more about them while you're away."

"I'll help out, Kaede. If you plant the seeds, I can grow them for you right away." Midori offered once they reached Kaede's hut.

"I'd appreciate that. The sooner they mature, the better." Kaede said with a nod.

With that, Kaede, Midori, Sango and Kagome set to work building a small garden behind Kaede's hut. Inuyasha went and collected logs, splitting them lengthwise to form a sturdy fence. When the fence was complete, Midori, Sango and Kagome tilled the ground, removing stones and weeds. Miroku, Takao and Kotone brought back multiple buckets of water from the river and everyone set to work poking seeds into the soil, Kaede following along behind them, dousing the seeds with water.

Everyone sat back for a moment to admire their work. In the space of a few hours, they had created a sizeable herb garden for Kaede, complete with a fence so rodents and pests couldn't get in, and narrow dirt path ran through the center of the garden. Just as the sun was setting, Kaede noticed that the seeds were already beginning to spout even though they had only been planted an hour ago.

"Midori, would you be so kind?" Kaede said, gesturing to the garden.

"Oh, sure." Midori said with a nod. She stood and walked into the center of the garden, kneeling down on the path and placing both palms on the ground. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, focusing her energy into the soil. Everyone watched as waves of pale green energy rippled through the ground around Midori, reaching outwards to encompass the whole garden.

Midori winced as a dull ache formed and turned into fire in her veins, spreading throughout her body as she drained her energy into the soil, but she kept at it as best she could, reminding herself to keep her energy gradual and even. Soon, the seedings sprouted cleanly from the soil, reaching up to the sky. Stems grew taller and began to reach outwards, leaves unfurled from the stems and soon a multitude of flowerbuds formed, opening to reveal stunning hand-sized bright red star-shaped flowers.

Midori gasped as she lifted her palms from the dirt, sitting back and panting for air before slowly lowering herself to lay on the path. Her whole body ached and she was covered with cold sweat, her vision was blurry, but she was smiling. All around her, the herbs had flourished, flowering into maturity and glittering with water.

"Midori!" Everyone sounded worried as they rushed closer, kneeling down and looking her over. She was exhausted, her breathing ragged and uneven, her hair clinging to her sweat-damp face.

"I'm okay, guys." Midori chuckled, raising an arm and giving them a thumbs up with a weary smile. "I just need to sleep."

"Take her inside." Kaede said, and Midori felt herself be lifted up off the ground. She closed her eyes and let herself be carried into Kaede's hut and laid down on a futon.

Kaede, Kagome and Sango looked at the garden that Midori had grown to maturity in a matter of minutes. Dozens of lush, leafy waist-high plants sat in neat rows, star-shaped crimson flowers reaching for the sun as still more buds were slowly opening before their eyes.

* * *

><p>"Midori-chan.." Midori heard Kagome's voice, rousing her from her sleep. Midori could smell candles burning, and she could feel heat from a small fire. "Midori-chan, you have to wake up. We have to meet Kaede in the garden.."<p>

"Hn.. Alright, alright.." Midori whined, rubbing her eyes as she slowly sat up. "Didn't I just go to sleep..?"

"No, you've been asleep for a few hours already." Kagome said as Midori opened her eyes, blinking untill the blurriness faded and the room around her came into focus.

"How's the garden?" Midori asked, getting to her feet. She still felt sore from using up all her energy in such a short amount of time. Kagome took Midori's hand to steady her.

"You'll just have to come and see." Kagome said simply.

"Oh, how very mysterious." Midori snorted, letting Kagome lead her outside into the cool night air. It smelled like it had rained recently, and clouds partially covered the crescent moon.

Kaede, Miroku and Sango stood on the garden path, looking over the plants when Midori and Kagome walked into the garden. Inuyasha, Kotone, Takao, Shippo and Kirara sat a little ways away on a grassy hill, within hearing distance of the garden. They all looked up when Midori and Kagome came to a stop in the garden.

"Wait a second.. Weren't the flowers red..?" Midori asked, looking at all of the white flowers in the garden.

"That's actually what we wanted to show you." Kagome admitted, resting a hand on Midori's shoulder. "Kaede, tell her what you told us."

"Well, it would seem your herbs are like no other in Japan, Midori." Kaede began, walking up to stand in front of Midori and gesturing behind her at the garden. "Even demon plants are nothing like this. Take the flowers, for example. When you were last here, it was during the day and the flowers were red. As you can see, they are now white."

"So you're saying.. My flowers change color depending on the time..?" Midori said incredulously, her eyebrows raised slightly.

"Yes, and that's not the only thing strange about them." Kaede replied with a nod. "When you grew them in your hand, outside of the soil, they had no flowers. They grew to maturity and released their seeds from pods much like peas, but when they were planted an abundance of flowers grew. I have been studying these plants for a while now, and inside each blossom is a growing cluster of seeds. I think that when the flowers wilt, the seeds will drop from the blossoms."

"Alright.. That's a significant difference.." Midori breathed, sitting down on the ground as she stared out into the garden.

"Have you decided what you're going to call it?" Sango asked, holding up one of the white blossoms, looking it over curiously. The blossoms were large enough that Shippo could probably use one as a hat, and that thought made Midori giggle.

"Hm..." Midori sat back and looked at the flowers, mulling over what little she knew about them, and then she caught a glimpse of Miroku's shakujou, which only buddhist monks carry, and she got an idea. "Red and white in a cycle.. How about Samsara?"

"Samsara?" Kagome asked, unfamiliar with the term.

"Oh? I'm impressed that you know about that, Midori-sama." Miroku grinned, now suddenly paying attention to the conversation. "Samara is the sanskrit term for Rinne, or reincarnation and the cycle of life, death and rebirth. I'm paraphrasing mostly, but it's taught to all aspiring buddhist monks."

"So how would that apply to this flower?" Sango asked, seeming mildly annoyed that she didn't know about the term before.

"Well, look. The flower turns red during the day, and turns white at night. When the flower is red, it means life, but when the flower is white, that would mean death. And the rebirth would be when it drops it's seeds after the flowers wilt." Midori explained.

"That's really deep." Kagome blinked. "I don't really know what to say to that."

"Where did you learn about that, Midori-sama?" Miroku asked as Midori stood up and dusted herself off.

"Oh, well.. I grew up at a shrine, remember? We used to do business with the local Buddhist temples all the time." Midori said, stretching slowly before she walked over and picked a flower from one of the herbs. A small amount of energy hummed in her hand, coming from the large blossom. "_Samsara kusabana_.. The Reincarnation Flower."

"It's actually kind of strange." Sango said, holding a flower to her nose. "It has no scent."

"I've noticed that too." Miroku added, looking disappointed. "They are beautiful though."

"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked, standing up and walking over to the garden fence. "I can smell those flowers all the way over on that hill."

"Eh? You can smell them, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, leaning down and smelling one of the flowers, frowning slightly when she stood upright. "I can't smell a thing."

"Maybe humans can't smell them.." Midori mused, looking down at the flower in her hand. "That's a shame.. It's such a pretty scent.."

* * *

><p>"Jinenji's hut should be just on the other side of this forest." Inuyasha announced as they walked down the path. It was about midday and clouds covered most of the sky, creating a dull, colorless world. A thin mist hung in the air, slightly muting any sounds and there was no wind, giving off an oppressive feeling. The group had left Kaede's village three days ago, and the bad weather seemed to be following them.<p>

"So, you mentioned that Jinenji was also a half-demon. What kind of half-demon is he?" Midori asked Kagome, curious.

"Oh, well his father was a horse demon, if I remember correctly." Kagome replied as the group trudged on into the forest.

"Hm.. If Inuyasha is a half dog demon and he has dog ears, does that mean Jinenji also has horse-like traits?" Midori mused, imagining something like a centaur.

"Well... It's best if you just see for yourself." Kagome answered, waving Midori off.

The group walked down the path at a near crawling pace, already exhausted from the journey. Inuyasha had asked Midori to fly everyone to their destination, but Midori still hadn't fully recovered from draining her energy into the garden, resorting to riding on Kagome's bike during the later half of the day before. A dreary silence descended upon the group and everyone seemed to be keeping their guard up while they walked through the forest.

Midori took the time to focus on her senses, looking through the trees and listening for even the faintest sound of danger. The trees around them were old. Dark, gnarled bark grew at odd angles, sprouting up into thick canopies of near-black leaves. There were very few sounds in the forest, which seemed odd for this time of day. Midori couldn't recall hearing a bird at all that day, and listening now, she couldn't even hear the usual scurrying of smaller animals through the dense brush of the forest floor.

"There's something weird about this forest." Midori said, looking a little more on edge than normal. "I can't hear anything but us.."

"Hn." Takao mumbled his agreement and walked a little closer to Midori, surveying his surroundings protectively.

"We're almost there." Kagome smiled over her shoulder just as a clearing formed up ahead.

They soon left the forest behind them, walking into a grassy valley. A few yards away from the path, Midori could see a small farm with rows upon rows of neatly spaced herbs and up at the top of a hill was an abnormally large hut. Very few scents travelled on the wind, but one caused Midori to stop for a moment. It was human blood.

"Inuyasha." Midori said, seeing him pause as well.

"Yeah. It's the old lady." Inuyasha replied, and without another word, the group quickly walked up the hill, through the fields and up to the door of the house.

"Jinenji!" Kagome cried, opening the door and disappearing inside. "Is everything okay?"

"K'gome!" A deep male voice gasped. "My mom.. She's hurt!"

"Alright, everyone stay outside. I'll be right back." Midori said, swinging her leather satchel over her shoulder and walking into the hut.

Once inside the hut, Midori could see Kagome sitting next to an elderly woman laying on a tattered futon, looking pale, weak and unconscious. Nearby, a large man sat in a corner. He had a very muscular frame, scars covering his bulky arms, and a long, horse-like face, but his eyes were a pure blue like the ocean. He looked up at Midori and trembled slightly as she kicked off her geta and walked into the hut.

"You don't have to be afraid, Jinenji." Kagome said soothingly. "This is Midori. She's a friend."

"What's wrong with your mother, Jinenji?" Midori asked, kneeling down at the woman's bedside and deftly looking her over. Something about her tone made her seem very professional, and it took Kagome and Jinenji by surprise.

"She was walking to the village and fell on the forest path. She hurt her leg really bad." Jinenji explained, looking worried.

"Alright. Let me take a look." Midori said, steeling her resolve as she slowly pulled back the woman's blanket. The woman's leg was black and blue with bruises, swollen and covered with open sores. Midori gingerly ran her fingers along her skin, feeling a few fractures in the bones behind the swelling. "How long ago?"

"Five days ago.." Jinenji answered, shuffling a little closer. "Is she gunna be okay?"

"She will be. But I'm going to have to treat her quickly, and it won't be pretty." Midori looked up at Jinenji, straight into his eyes, her expression stern. "She will cry out in pain, and she will thrash around, but can you stay still no matter what you hear?"

"Midori-chan.. What..?" Kagome looked at Midori, going pale as she came to the realization of what Midori had to do. "You're going to set her leg?"

"Yeah. If neither of you can stand it, leave." Midori said stiffly, yanking her hair back and tying it up into a bun with a leather cord. "Takao! Kotone!"

"Hai, Midori-sama." Takao and Kotone said in unison as they quickly walked into the hut, removing their footwear and kneeling beside Midori.

"Last chance to back out if you're squeamish." Midori looked back up to Kagome and Jinenji, who had fallen silent in light of Midori's commanding tone. When neither of them moved, Midori nodded once and looked down at the woman with a faint sigh. "Takao, hold her shoulders for me while I set her leg. Kotone, hold her leg down. She'll fight you, but be gentle. Take care not to hurt her further, she's only human."

"Hai." Takao nodded, shifting his position to kneel by the woman's shoulders and gently held her down.

"Hai, Midori-sama." Kotone answered, holding down the woman's thigh.

"Kagome, if you're going to stay, then you have to work. Find blankets. She'll have a fever for the next few hours and she'll need them in order to break it." Midori said, pulling away the woman's sweat-soaked blanket and tossing it aside. She then turned and shot a small fireball into the nearby hearth, where a pile of cold logs had been left, forgotten.

"H-hai!" Kagome said shakily as she got to her feet, running around the large hut in a panic, grabbing anything she could use as a blanket.

While Kagome was running around, Midori moved down to the woman's leg. Carefully, she felt around for the first fracture. When she found it, she braced herself, and gave a sharp nod to Takao and Kotone, who steadied their grips before Midori jerked the woman's leg into the right direction. The bones made a terrible sound and Midori winced, hearing Kagome whimper nearby. The woman gasped and then cried out in agony, causing Jinenji to jump up in fright, but he didn't interfere and Midori didn't stop there. She moved on to each of the three fractures, setting the bone back into place as best she knew how. By the time she was done, the woman had fainted.

"Takao, could you get some water boiling? I have to clean this wound." Midori said, kneeling over the woman's leg and pouring her healing energy into the wounds, ignoring the blood and other filth on her hands.

"Hai, Midori-sama." Takao went about his tasks, collecting water into a kettle from the nearby well and setting the kettle over the hearth.

"Midori-chan," Kagome walked up to Midori with a pile of fabrics, setting them down near the woman's futon. "Is there anything else you'll need?"

"Yes. See if you can find a spare futon, something that can be easily cleaned. She'll be laid up for quite a while, and the futon she's laying in right now is filthy. We'll have to clean it in the river after we move her over." Midori said, and Kagome quickly left to search around the hut once again.

Midori winced as she knelt over the woman's leg, her hands hovering inches from her skin as she moved the subtle green glow over the wounds. Midori's vision had begun to blur and that ache of her energy draining returned once again. Sweat was forming on her brow, but Midori ignored it, focusing on the task at hand.

"Midori-sama, are you alright?" Kotone asked, resting a hand on Midori's shoulder.

"I'm alright. I've just used up a lot of energy, that's all. I still haven't recovered from draining my energy in Kaede's village." Midori grumbled, annoyed by her own convalescence.

"Is... Is there anything.. I can do to help?" Jinenji's worried voice reached Midori's ears.

"Talk to her." Midori said plainly, not looking away from her task. "She'll be able to hear your voice and that will comfort her."

A few hours passed like that, with Jinenji at his mother's side, talking to her as calmly as he could. Midori took occasional breaks to regain her energy before she began healing the woman again. Kagome had returned with a clean futon she had gotten from the village, and they carefully moved the woman to the new futon. Sango and Kotone had taken the old futons and as many blankets as they could carry to the river for a thorough washing, using Kagome's precious soap, and Takao and Kotone sat at Midori's side, keeping careful watch over her while she worked long into the night.

"Midori-chan, where did you learn to set broken bones..?" Kagome asked, looking at Midori.

"I broke my leg once, falling out of a tree when I was seven years old. I remember everything the doctor had to do to ensure it healed properly. I guess the pain made me pay attention to all the stupid details." Midori smiled wearily, leaning back against a wall. Takao was sitting beside her quietly and Kotone was carefully bathing the woman's wounds, removing the dried blood and other filth.

"Still.. That's impressive." Kagome said, handing Midori a cup of tea. "I had no idea what to do, or even what I was looking at, and you were able to take control of a situation like that and work with it."

"Eh.. I just followed my instincts.. Besides, she's on her own now." Midori sighed, taking a sip of the bitter tea before letting her head fall back against the cool wall. "Geez, I can barely keep my eyes open.."

"You've been working for a long time, Midori-sama. You've used up all of your energy more than once tonight." Takao said quietly, taking the cup from Midori's weak hands and setting it aside. "Get some sleep."

Midori nodded meekly, closing her eyes and laying down on the floor, using her leather satchel as a pillow. Midori drifted off into a deep sleep listening to the quiet crackling of the fire in the hearth and the conversations of those around her.

* * *

><p><em>"It hurts, Aneue.. It hurts!" It was a child's voice, crying and whimpering in pain. The cold sound of chains jingling together seemed to echo throughout the underground room when the child tried to move away.<em>

_"Oh? So you can feel pain." Anju's voice was filled with a malicious amusement. Midori couldn't see anything, tears and blood blurring her vision. "If you feel pain, then I can train you."_

_"Train me? Aneue, what are you talking about?" Midori's childish voice squeaked with fear, hoarse and raspy from screaming and crying._

_"You will be trained, Midori. You will only bare your fangs at your own kind untill the day you die." Anju answered, a chuckle hidden behind her hard words. "Just like a dog."_

_"Aneue..!" Midori choked, feeling another searing pain shoot through her body as she cried out. The smell of blood and sweat was overpowering, and Midori could barely breathe._

_"Get her cleaned up." Anju ordered someone nearby. "Once she's presentable, get a doctor in here. Tell them she broke her leg falling out of a tree or something. I don't care anymore."_

* * *

><p>Midori sat bolt upright with a huge gasp for air just as another wave of searing pain shot through her sleep-addled body. On reflex, she raised her claws to defend herself, looking around the room. She was in Jinenji's hut, a small fire crackling in the hearth while Kagome was looking over Jinenji's mother.<p>

"Midori-chan?" Kagome asked, looking startled by Midori's sudden movement.

"I'm fine." Midori said, relaxing back into a sitting position and holding her head in her hands. "I just had a nightmare, that's all."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Kagome asked, replacing the old woman's blankets and kneeling beside Midori.

"No." Midori said simply, shaking her head, trying to burn the remenants of her dream away. "I'd rather not talk about it, if that's alright with you."

"That's fine.." Kagome sighed, looking back at the woman. Jinenji was asleep, leaning against the wall beside his mother.

"Is she awake yet?" Midori asked, forcing herself to think of work to calm herself down.

"No, not yet. I'm starting to get worried." Kagome said with a sigh, her features knit together into a frown. "She's been unconscious since we got here yesterday."

"This actually works out in our favor." Midori said, smoothing her hair back with shaky hands before she stood up. "Where is everyone?"

"They're outside tending to Jinenji's herbs while he's in here getting some rest. He fell asleep shortly after you did." Kagome said, looking towards the door of the hut. "Are you sure you got enough rest?"

"Yeah, I'm alright for now." Midori answered quickly, knowing she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep if she tried. "Kagome, could you go get the others and tell them to meet me outside?"

"Oh, alright." Kagome nodded, standing and walking out the door, looking a little curious.

When Kagome left, Midori released a heavy sigh, closing her eyes and trying to steady herself. She didn't want to worry anyone, because that would just slow everyone down. The remenants of her nightmare haunted her, pain still coursing through her body, and for the first time in years, the leg she had broken as a child ached.

Midori pushed passed it, regaining her steely composure when she began hearing footsteps outside the hut. She grabbed her leather satchel and swung it onto her back, jamming her arms into the straps as she slipped into her geta and walked outside. The sun was shining, and it seemed like the bad weather finally passed, giving way to clear skies and a pleasant breeze. Midori could hear birds and animals in the forest nearby, and there wasn't a trace of the mist from yesterday.

"Yo, Midori!" inuyasha said, standing at the front of the hut, along with everyone else. "You get enough sleep?"

"Yes, I did. Thank you." Midori said, glancing around at the fields for a moment. "Did everyone finish the field work?"

"Yes, we did. Kagome showed us what to do, and with all of us together it went a lot faster than we had anticipated." Miroku answered, dusting the dirt from his robes.

"Alright, so that's one thing we get to cross off our list." Midori said with a nod, her sharp eyes narrowing as she thought about everything they would have to do today.

"List?" Sango asked, looking confused. "What list?"

"We went Jinenji's mother to get better, don't we?" Kagome replied, seemingly understanding Midori's train of thought. Everyone nodded in agreement, even Inuyasha. "Well then, let's see what Midori wants us to do today."

Everyone turned to look at Midori, who was standing in the doorway of the hut. Her arms were folded over her chest and her expression was stern, calculating, and she was silent for a short while as everyone looked up to her. Finally, she slipped a hand into her sash and tugged out a silk purse, tossing it to Miroku.

"Miroku-" Miroku caught the purse and awaited his orders. "-Go to the village and buy whatever sake you can find and bring it back here. Don't drink it, it's not for you. Tell the villagers what's happened to Jinenji's mother and ask if they have any food they can spare. Tell them they can bring it here before sunset tonight. And if you waste time to hit on girls, I'll know and I'll tell Sango."

Miroku took a step back, looking surprised as though Midori had just read his mind, but he nodded nonetheless, taking the silk purse and heading down the forest path towards the village.

"Kotone and Shippo, I'd like both of you to gather all the fabrics in the hut, save for what people are wearing, and take them down to the river for a good washing." Kotone and Shippo nodded, immediately walking passed Midori into the hut, setting about their task.

"Inuyasha, I know you like destroying stuff as much as I do, so I'll leave you in charge of gathering firewood. We'll need as much as you can carry and more. Start stacking it against the back wall of the hut and we'll be needing more daily." Inuyasha smirked and nodded, heading down towards the forest with his sword drawn.

"Takao, we'll be needing lots of fresh water. Once you fill all the buckets, just set them outside the door and don't let any men inside. I'll be sending Jinenji out as soon as he wakes up." Midori said, her tone a little softer when she reached Takao. He nodded and went about gathering every bucket he could find before heading off to the well.

"Alright then, that leaves Kagome-chan and Sango-chan..." Midori turned to them, taking their hands, her expression almost painfully serious, which startled them. "Kagome, Sango, you two are my best friends, and I would like nothing more than to let you two rest for the whole day, but we all need to pitch in here. I love you both like sisters, but believe me what I tell you that Jinenji's mother is absolutely filthy and I need both of you to help me give her a bath."

Kagome and Sango stared at Midori's deathly serious expression, blinking in confusion and wondering if they had heard her correctly. Kagome was the first one to start giggling, and soon all three girls were holding their sides, howling with laughter.

"Oh gods! You sounded so serious!" Kagome cried, wiping tears from her eyes.

"I thought you were gunna ask us to go kill some rare kind of demon or something!" Sango laughed, kneeling on the ground and holding her sides to catch her breath.

"Well, if you wanna be technical..!" Midori trailed off as another wave of laughter hit the girls.

After they had recovered from their fit of laughter, the girls went inside the hut to tend to Jinenji's mother. Kagome woke Jinenji and sent him outside to greet the few villagers who showed up with their offerings of food and told him to help Takao when they needed more water or firewood. Midori, Sango and Kagome set about bringing the water inside, boiling it over the fire, and then pouring it into large bowls and pots. They bathed Jinenji's mother as best they could, even washing out her matted silver hair with Kagome's strawberry shampoo, and then dressed her in a clean hiyoku all while she was still unconscious and her leg was in a splint.

Once they had bathed Jinenji's mother, Midori decided to start cleaning the hut, scrubbing the floors and washing all of the dishes and pots, even washing down the walls and dusting the rafters. The sun was just beginning to set when everyone noticed a delicious smell in the air, leading them all back to the hut. Midori had prepared dinner, and they all sat around the fire, talking happily about their day. Even Jinenji seemed happy.

"But wait a second, what was that sake for?" Miroku asked, pointing to the sizeable barrel of sake he had purchased from the village.

"Oh, that's for Jinenji's mother. When she wakes up, she'll be in a lot of pain, and the sake will numb that. I'll have to show Jinenji how to measure it so he doesn't give her too much. We want to numb the pain, not get her smashed." Midori smiled.

"I'm impressed that we were all able to do so much today." Sango smiled, looking around the sparkling clean hut. The laundry and futons had been neatly folded and put away, the bowls and cookware were stacked, the hearth had been thoroughly cleaned, and the field work had been taken care of. Even the stack of drying firewood leaning against the back wall of the hut had seemingly tripled in size in the space of a day.

"Ahh.." Miroku sighed lamentably, leaning back against the wall behind him. "But I sure would like some of that sake. There's nothing better after a long day."

"Yeah, except all you had to do was buy some sake and hang out in the village for a while." Inuyasha snorted, holding up his hand. "I still have splinters from cutting down all those trees!"

"Oh, you'll get over it, Inuyasha." Kagome grinned jokingly. "You're a big boy, after all."

"Midori-sama, are you feeling any better today?" Takao asked, looking at Midori who had been silent for some time.

"Yeah, I'm feeling a little better." Midori smiled faintly. "I'm just exhausted, that's all."

"Midori, if you're tired then you should get some sleep!" Shippo chirped, bounding over to Midori and snuggling up against her side. "I'll get some sleep too! Washing laundry is _really_ tiring!"

"Alright, alright. I'll get some sleep." Midori giggled, patting Shippo's head as she laid down on the floor, her back pressed against the wall, using her leather satchel as a pillow once again. Shippo laid down beside her and curled up against her, and soon they were both fast asleep.

"It's amazing.." Sango began, looking at Midori from the other side of the hut, her voice soft and her expression distant. "She can do so much even when she's still weak from exhaustion."

"Of course she can." Kotone replied, following Sango's gaze with a warm smile. "She's the leader of the Tamamo clan, after all."


	20. Blasphemy And Goodbyes

Midori sat up with a soft groan, annoyed by her aching body and her stiff muscles. She rubbed her eyes lazily before she opened them, blinking the world into focus. Everyone was still asleep, and it was very early in the morning. The fire in the hearth had gone out, so Midori begrudgingly got up, tossed some firewood into the hearth and then zapped it with a fireball, covering her mouth with her hand as she released a large yawn.

Carefully stepping over her friends, she made her way over to Jinenji's mother, kneeling down by the woman's side and looking her over. Her color was starting to come back, slowly but surely, and the bruises and swelling on her leg had gradually abated. The thing that worried Midori the most right now was that she was so thin, and she wasn't waking up to eat. Midori got comfortable, sitting by the woman's leg and holding her hands over the mildly-bruised skin, allowing the healing green glow to project itself into the woman's leg. Midori wasn't even fully awake yet, and she was already healing a woman she knew nothing about, and Midori couldn't help smirking at that thought. Just as Midori was about to nod off in the middle of her healing session, she felt a large hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Jinenji's sleepy face.

"Oh, good morning, Jinenji." Midori mumbled, setting her hands in her lap with a weary smile.

"Good morning, Midori-sama." Jinenji mumbled back, fidgetting slightly as he looked down at his mother. "How is she?"

"She'll be fine." Midori sighed, looking down at her patient. "The bone has been set in place and it's mending together nicely, but that doesn't mean she can get right back to work. If she puts too much weight on her leg, the bones will break again. All she needs to do now, though, is wake up so she can eat. She needs her strength to heal herself, because I can't keep this up for very long."

"Thank you for all that you've done for us." Jinenji muttered quietly, his deep voice wavering slightly. "I've been pretty useless since I've been so worried."

"It's only natural for a son to worry about his mother." Midori said with a slight smile.

Midori closed her eyes for a moment, taking in her surroundings. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, a gentle milky white mist rolling over the grass. It was considerably cooler today than the day before, and Midori could almost smell the impending autumn on the air, sending a delicate shiver through her. Midori had always been particularly in tune with the changing seasons, and she had always been able to tell when the seasons were going to change ahead of schedule. Midori sighed softly when a realization struck her. It had been six months to the day since she left the shrine.

Midori frowned, thinking of all the things that have happened in these last six months. She had been chasing after jewel shards, battling demons and being targetted by Naraku. It had been three months since she had met Naraku, and Midori was uneasy knowing that Naraku had been startlingly quiet as of late. A sense of growing nervousness gripped her insides and Midori bit her lip, knowing full well that Naraku must be plotting something terrible if he hasn't been trying to capture or kill her.

"Oie!" Midori said suddenly, standing up and walking to the kettle over the fire, tapping on it with a ladel. "Time to wake up, everyone."

A chorus of unhappy groans filtered through the room as her friends slowly woke. Midori put her hands on her hips and sighed, looking around as everyone woke as begrudgingly as she had. Midori got started on breakfast right away, and soon a wonderful smell filled the hut. This seemed to encourage everyone to wake up, and a little while later, everyone was sitting down to a good meal and a hot cup of tea.

"Ne, Midori.." Inuyasha grumbled, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Why'd you have to wake us so early? The sun isn't even above the horizon yet!"

"Oh, come on. You get to eat my cooking for a second day in a row. Don't complain." Midori chided, setting down her bowl, her features suddenly darkening. "Besides, I just have this uneasy feeling.. Like it's too quiet. It's been three months since any of us have heard a word about Naraku.."

At the mention of Naraku, everyone fell into a restless silence, their own expressions shifting to match Midori's. It really had been too quiet, and everyone knew that it wasn't a good sign. They had been able to collect jewel shards with relative ease, and they hadn't run into Naraku or his incarnations in far too long. It was suspicious.

"I got something I think everyone should see." Midori said, reaching for her bag. She reached into it and dug out a tattered roll of paper, laying it out in front of everyone. They moved around it in a circle and Midori stared at it as though her gaze could set it aflame.

"Wow.. That map is really accurate." Miroku mused, tracing his fingers over a few of the dark ink lines. "It even shows the four capital demon territories."

"All of this time spent travelling and you never thought to get a map?" Midori sighed dryly, rubbing her temple. "Anyway, I figured I'd get this so we can mark down where we know Naraku's castles have been in the past. That way we'll be able to better judge where he's likely to go next."

The others nodded in agreement and soon everyone was pointing to places on the map where they knew Naraku's castles had been, and even sightings of his incarnations. Midori quickly marked down each one with a highlighter she'd borrowed from Kagome, and she sat back and looked over their progress.

"So, he likes..." Midori sighed, looking utterly depressed. "Rural areas with absolutely nothing around. Great. That summarizes just about all of Japan right now."

"Wait a second.." Kagome said, looking like she'd suddenly had a stroke of genius. "Let's write down the dates of when we found Naraku's castles. We may be able to figure out if he's moving in a certain direction!"

"That's not a bad idea, actually." Midori replied, and the group set to work, writing down dates on the map near Naraku's castles. Once they had finished, they looked like they had just won a great victory.

"He's moving north!" Sango breathed, looking down at the map as if she couldn't believe what they had just accomplished. "Every time he conquers a new castle, it's farther and farther north!"

"Okay, we've found which direction he's going. That doesn't mean we've found him." Midori said, pinching the bridge of her nose as she wracked her brain to remember even the smallest details about Naraku. "Kagome, give me your history book."

"Here." Kagome quickly handed Midori her history book and Midori opened it, scanning the pages without another word.

"Alright.. Judging by this." Midori began, looking through a list of the castles in Kagome's history book. "The only thing these castles have in common is that they all belonged to small-time samurai clans that had been wiped out supposedly by rival clans. Well, that narrows it down a little, but not by much."

"It's enough information to at least know which direction he's heading." Miroku interjected, "And to know what castles he's likely to target."

* * *

><p>After their startling discovery, the group had dispersed themselves around the farm to tend to the daily chores. A few villagers had dropped by early on in the day to help them, and Midori had told them what needed to be done with an efficiancy that rivalled a military general. After the chores had been taken care of, the sun was high overhead and Midori had just finished making lunch, signalling to the others that it was time to come back by banging on a pot from the doorway of the hut.<p>

"Midori-sama seems to be acting a lot like an older sister, doesn't she?" Miroku grinned as he and Sango walked towards the hut from the fields.

"Yeah, I guess you're right, but that's not really a bad thing, is it?" Sango mused with a slight smile.

Everyone quickly finished up what they were doing and made their way to the hut, sitting down to another one of Midori's luxurious meals. The conversation was light and friendly, but Midori could tell there was a darker mood than one that was common among her friends, especially with Inuyasha, who was completely transparent. After the meal, the dishes had been washed and the group was about to depart once again when a figure stirred in the hut.

"Oie, Jinenji's mother is waking up." Inuyasha looked at Midori and pointed down at the old woman with mild disinterest.

"Finally!" Midori sighed, quickly grabbing a cup and dunking it into the sake barrel, collecting only a small amount before she knelt down beside Jinenji's mother.

"Wha.. what happened?" The woman asked as her eyes fluttered open, blinking a few times before she looked up to see Midori, Kagome and Jinenji at her side. "Who..?"

"Easy now, don't try to sit up just yet." Midori smiled, taking the woman's hand. "Your son told me you fell and broke your leg, so I've been here tending to you for the last three days. You've been unconscious for eight days."

"Eight days? Oh, I have to get back to work!" The woman began to fret and tried to sit up but Midori gently pushed her back down onto the futon. "The fields must be in terrible condition!"

"Don't worry. We've all been taking care of the fields for you. Jinenji showed us how." Kagome said with a reassuring smile, and gradually the woman stilled, wincing with the pain that movement brought.

"Don't move around. Your leg still hasn't fully healed." Midori said firmly, noticing the woman's pained expression. Midori grabbed her leather satchel and retrived some of her herbs from it's depths, remembing what Kaede did back at the village. Midori pulled the woman's blanket aside and bared her half-healed leg, stripping some leaves away from the herb. Midori pinched the leaves tightly between her fingers and laid them out on the woman's leg untill it was completely covered.

"What are you doing, girl? What herb is that?" The woman asked, startled by the sudden sensation. Midori handed Jinenji's mother the herb to look over while the leaves took effect.

Even Jinenji was watching closely while the leaves that wrapped around his mother's leg began to glow. After a few moments, the leaves began to bruise and crinkle up like they were being crushed in someone's fist, peeling away from the woman's leg.

"What in the world..?" The woman asked, her eyes wide as she slowly sat up and looked down at her leg, now mostly healed and covered by a clear viscous liquid. "It doesn't hurt anymore!"

"Midori-sama.. What herb is that?" Jinenji asked, looking at the plant his mother held, his deep voice wavering with surprise.

"That's actually why we travelled here, Jinenji." Kagome spoke up, "We came to ask you if you might know anything about it."

"You've stayed here, tending to me and taking care of our chores just to ask about an herb..?" The woman asked incredulously, her eyebrows raised as she looked at Midori.

"Well, that's one reason. Once you're well enough to move around, I'll show you more." Midori said, standing and collecting some soup into a bowl and handing it to the woman with an expression that would accept no argument. "For now, you eat, rest and regain your strength."

With that, Midori pulled Inuyasha aside and they spoke for a bit, only to mysteriously disappear from the hut a few minutes later. A few hours passed and when they returned, they were carrying two large tree trunks. To everyone's dismay, Midori said nothing as she cut the wood into smaller pieces and parked herself beside the hut, tediously carving the wood into shapes with her claws. When she was done, she snuck back into the house and grabbed some rope, and an old, battered cushion. When Midori's friends could take the suspense no longer, they found Midori outside as the sun was setting.

"Oie, oie! I was just gunna bring it inside, guys!" Midori whined, pushing her creation in front of her. Everyone but Kagome looked at Midori's finished project with wonder and curiousity, but Kagome just sighed and shook her head.

"You made a wheelchair? Really?" Kagome asked dryly, folding her arms over her chest.

"Yeah, why not?" Midori said, pretending to be defensive. "This way she'll be able to move around and I won't have to yell at her to get back in bed."

Midori looked down at her creation with pride. Midori had created a wooden wheelchair. It had taken some time to work out the design, but she eventually got it right. She had cut the wood into smaller pieces, forming the wheels, the seat, and lots of supports so it wouldn't collapse, tying it securely together with bits of rope. To smooth the rough wood, she had heated some rocks with her fox fire and scraped the rock against the wood like sandpaper. It even came complete with a built in footrest for the old woman's broken leg, and the old cushion was.. well, still a cushion.

"This is really very ingenius, Midori-sama!" Miroku said, sitting down in the chair and trying it out, his eyes glittering with childish curiousity.

"Thanks, but I didn't invent it. They're used a lot in the modern era and I thought it might be useful in this situation." Midori sighed, wheeling a giggling Miroku into the hut.

"No fair! I wanna play too!" Shippo cried, bounding over to Miroku and jumping into his lap.

"It's not a toy!" Midori shoo'd the two boys from the wheelchair and parked it just inside the door and out of the way. "When Jinenji's mother is well enough to move, she can use that, provided no one breaks it first."

"Ohh! Scary!" Miroku shuddered and backed away with a playful grin.

The evening ended like that, with people wanting to try out the wheelchair as if it were a shiny new toy, and Midori had to chase them away every time. Kagome ended up making dinner that night, and the atmosphere around the hut was lighthearted and jovial. The group of friends soon ate dinner and went to bed, with Midori sleeping next to the wheelchair in case someone decided to sneak off with it.

* * *

><p>In the morning, they had all woken to Midori's cooking. Midori promptly shot a ball of foxfire at anyone who tried to get near the wheelchair but only ended up tiring herself out, instead choosing to help Jinenji's mother into the chair while everyone else was eating. When they had finished breakfast, Midori and the others went out to the garden, with Midori carefully pushing along Jinenji's mother in her chair, and they came to a stop in the sunniest patch of earth Midori could find.<p>

"Alright, so what I'm about to show you is a secret, alright?" Midori said, pulling a silk pouch from her satchel. "Only a select few people know I can do this, and I'd like to keep it that way, for my own safety."

"H-hai.." Jinenji and his mother nodded, looking on at Midori with curiousity as she retrieved two seeds from the silk pouch, walked a short distance away and popped one into the soil, holding the other in her hand.

They watched, wide-eyed as Midori placed her palm on the ground near the seed and held the other seed in her open palm and radiated her energy into both seeds, causing them to grow to maturity in a matter of seconds. It was less draining on Midori this time, as it was only two seeds.

"That's amazing!" Jinenji's mother said, looking at both plants. The one that had been planted in the soil grew healthy and strong, revealing large crimson star-shaped blossoms, and the one in Midori's open palm sprouted seed pods like peas. "What is it?"

"It's a healing herb. It's the same herb I used to heal your leg." Midori explained, breaking off a large portion of the soil-grown herb and handing both plants to Jinenji's mother for inspection. "We don't know what it is, but we're calling it Samsara Kusabana. The flowers change color, red during the day and white at night."

"I've never seen anything like it before!" The old woman exclaimed, looking over the two plants with a careful eye. "I can feel energy within these plants as well. It feels calming and comforting. How did you come across these?"

"I actually grew them myself. I found a rare herb seed some months ago and I was curious to see if I could use my youki to grow it. I've been using these herb seeds as a kind of training, to see if I can control my youki and balance it evenly, and every time I collect the seeds from a plant, it has more of my energy within it." Midori explained, standing in front of Jinenji's mother.

"A friend of ours, a priestess, told us that Midori had enhanced the natural healing abilities within the plant so much that it changed itself." Kagome added.

"Yes, I can see that. By the seeds, I can tell which herb you used, and I can see just how drastically the plant changed itself." Jinenji's mother said, recovering from her initial shock and taking on a more studious tone. "Do you think I may be able to keep a few of those seeds? I would like to grow some for myself and see what they can do."

"I don't mind, just as long as you keep it a secret." Midori shrugged and poured some seeds into her palm, handing them to Jinenji's mother.

"Of course. I'll keep these a secret. Most of the villagers that come here for herbs don't really know much about them in the first place. Instead, they rely on us to tell them what to use and how to use it." Jinenji's mother scoffed slightly, shaking her head.

"Aww! How come they get seeds and I don-GACK!" Miroku had started whining, but was quickly silenced by Sango.

"Because you would just sell them, baka-monk." Sango grumbled, folding her arms across her chest with a sigh.

"Those flowers have such a pretty smell." Jinenji mumbled, smiling as he looked down at the large red flowers in his mother's arms.

"Eh?" Jinenji's mother looked up, confused, and then sniffed one of the flowers. "I can't smell anything."

"Oh yeah. I forgot to mention that." Midori admitted apologetically. "It would seem that humans can't smell the flowers. I don't fully understand why, personally."

"Hm.. Well, once I'm back on my feet again, I'll begin studying these herbs for you." Jinenji's mother nodded with affirmation.

"Thank you. I'll be sure to stop by soon to see what you've discovered." Midori bowed politely.

"Yeah. We can't stay for too long." Inuyasha interjected with a grumble, his fierce golden eyes trained north. "We have a long journey ahead of us."

"Well, I won't keep you. With these herbs and Midori-sama's invention, I'll be back on my feet in no time at all." Jinenji's mother beamed.

"Jinenji.." Midori pulled the half-demon aside for a moment. "Make sure she doesn't push herself too hard, alright? If she gets hurt again, contact Kaede. She lives in a village south-east of here at the edge of Inuyasha's forest."

"I'll take care of her." Jinenji nodded with a gentle smile, which Midori returned.

Once the group had gathered their things, Midori and her friends set off for parts unknown, heading north. Jinenji and his mother waved goodbye from the hilltop as Midori disappeared into the valley. The sun was shining brightly, and it was beginning to feel more like summer, but Midori couldn't fight away a slight chill down her spine. Autumn was fast approaching, and with that came the seasonal rains that were common in Japan. Midori made a mental note to remember to stock up on herbal tea and fresh ginger so her friends wouldn't get sick when the temperatures dropped.

* * *

><p>The group travelled north into the cool, arid climate around the mountains. Sango was in charge of the map, carefully leading the group around dangers and through a few villages to resupply as they journeyed passed Naraku's former castles on their way to the lands beyond. They were going to check every castle north of Naraku's former hideouts, and that's where Kagome came in. Along the way, she would pull out her history book and read a few paragraphs of the history on any castle they were currently within sight of, like a tour-guide. This had greatly amused Midori, and she joked about it being a good idea to remember such things for Kagome's history class.<p>

Just before sunset, Midori and her friends were walking into a village to resupply. It was a small, dusty village and when Midori looked around, she couldn't see the village's rice fields. It seemed strange, but Midori decided to inquire about it sometime later.

As the group walked through the village, they started noticing the villagers staring at them. Midori glanced around her carefully, making sure that no one saw her looking anywhere but straight ahead, and she took in her surroundings that way. Everyone here in the village was wearing torn, tattered kimonos in dire need of repair, and they all looked disturbingly thin, like they were starving. Even a group of children sat under a nearby tree, just sitting there, not playing. And then the scent of a jewel shard reached her.

"Kagome." Midori whispered, taking Kagome's hand to get her attention. "I smell a shard."

"Hn. I feel it." Kagome answered.

Everyone in the group was now paying attention, and without missing a step, the two girls moved to the front of the group. They kept their eyes down, except for the occassional upwards glance untill they located the shard. It was inside the village elder's house. Thinking quickly, Midori led Kagome and the rest of the group out of the village and a safe distance away. Once they were out of earshot and Midori was sure no one had followed them, Midori relaxed. They walked a short distance into the forest before Midori stopped and leaned back against a tree.

"They have a jewel shard." Kagome announced, standing beside Midori.

"Well, why'd we leave? Lets go get it!" Inuyasha started back towards the village before Miroku stopped him.

"Don't you think they would have if they thought they could?" Miroku asked, looking particularly wise. He seemed to notice something was wrong.

"He's right." Midori said, folding her arms over her chest. "Did you see that village? They're in the middle of a famine. We can't just take what could very well be their most prized possession without giving them something in return."

"What are you suggesting, Midori-chan?" Sango asked, looking contemplative.

"A trade." Midori said simply. "Kotone, Takao, I'll need your help on this one. We go in at nightfall."

* * *

><p>The full moon rose over the village slowly, bathing it in a pure white light. A few patchy clouds hung low, blocking the light of the stars, casting shadows over the dry dirt. A small number of villagers were still awake at this hour, walking around the village with small paper lanterns on their way home, untill one of them, an elderly man, noticed movement in what had once been the rice fields.<p>

"Torches! Bring the torches!"

"There's something in the fields!"

The villagers were shouting and panicking as they quickly lit torches and ran to the rice fields in a great swarm only to be comfronted by a vision they had never expected to see. There, standing in the center of the fields, was a beautiful woman who seemed to glitter in the moonlight with two foxes on either side of her. The village elder walked to the head of the crowd and stopped in front of the woman.

"I have come with a proposition for you, Elder." Midori spoke in a clear, steady voice, her jadefire gaze locked on the Elder.

"What is it you seek, woman?" He asked. He was a very old man, leaning up against a gnarled wooden cane. His snow white hair was matted and his beard grew long, he was wearing a threadbare blue kimono.

"I will bring your rice fields back to life.." Midori began, letting her words sink in before continuing, hearing the startled gasps of the villagers. "In return, I ask for the jewel shard of the Shikon no Tama that you possess."

"And why should we believe you?" The Elder spoke, distrust clear in his voice. A few of the villagers shared his sentiment, murmuring and whispering among themselves. The two foxes on either side of Midori growled softly, stalking away from her to give her room.

"If you do not believe, then let me offer you proof." Midori said with a sly smile. She closed her eyes and relaxed, releasing her youki around her in a gentle wave as she transformed. Pale white skin gave way to snow white fur, perfect white teeth gave way to sharp white fangs, and nine snow-white tails formed. There, standing before the shocked and frightened villagers, was a white nine-tailed fox. It stood tall and proud, crimson markings almost glowing in the moonlight.

"Inari-sama!" A startled villager gasped, staring up at Midori with wide eyes. Midori fought back a giggle. She had won. "It's Inari-sama! The fox goddess of the harvest!"

The villagers all bowed their heads slightly and Midori transformed back into her daiyoukai form, her long black hair flowing as she bowed in return. The village Elder, however, showed no emotion. He was a tough nut to crack. Midori held her head high, her gaze unwavering as she waited for the Elder's reply.

"Very well. I shall trade you the shard for our rice fields restored." The Elder said finally.

"Then as a gesture of good faith, I shall restore your fields first." Midori said, kneeling in the soil and placing her palms on the ground. The two foxes each placed a paw on her hands and together, the three of them fed their youki into the earth. Midori controlled the flow of youki, keeping it gentle and even, and soon rice began to sprout up without seeds or water, creating a bountiful harvest before the eyes of the villagers. When all of the fields around the village had been grown to maturity, Midori stood slowly, ignoring her aching body and blurring vision, keeping up the act.

"I daresay I am inclined to believe the rumor that you are Inari-sama." The Elder began, holding up his cane and removing the jewel shard from the head like a splinter. "You have kept up your end of the bargain, and so I shall do the same. The shard is yours."

Midori took the shard from the Elder and bowed politely, the Elder returning the gesture in kind, and Midori turned and walked into the shadows, leaving behind the flourishing rice fields with the jewel shard in her hand. Once she was far enough away and out of sight, she dropped her mask and gasped for air, collapsing onto the ground with her head in her hands.

"Midori-sama!" Takao transformed back into his youkai form, as did Kotone, and they rushed to her side.

"I'm alright." Midori said weakly, her shoulders trembling as she forced herself to stand, handing the shard to Takao. "Take the shard so I don't drop it."

"Alright. I'll hold onto it untill we get back to camp. We should go, you need your rest." Takao said, concern plain in his voice.

"You really shouldn't push yourself like that, Midori-sama.." Kotone said as she and Takao walked back towards camp, but Midori wasn't following. "I mean, really, growing all of their fields at once? That's insane... Midori-sama?"

"One of you may have to lead me to camp, I'm afraid." Midori began, looking passed them, her eyes blank as she held up a trembling hand. "I can't see."

* * *

><p>Takao and Kotone led Midori back to the camp just as Kagome and Sango finished making dinner. Inuyasha, Miroku and Shippo were sitting around the fire, and everyone looked up when the three fox demons entered the firelight.<p>

"So? How did it go?" Kagome asked, looking hopeful. Takao responded by dropping the shard into Kagome's hand before leading a surprisingly clumsy Midori to the campfire.

"What's wrong with her?" Inuyasha asked, his face going pale when he saw Midori's blank expression and unseeing eyes.

"She's blind." Takao said softly, kneeling down beside Midori and resting a hand on her shoulder, a pained expression on his face.

"What?" Kagome gasped, looking horrified as she ran to Midori, kneeling in front of her.

"How?" Sango asked, her eyes widening.

"She grew all of the villages rice fields. Even with all of our youki combined, she used too much of her own." Kotone said, sounding as though she were on the verge of tears.

"I didn't want to hurt either of you." Midori smiled, resting her hand on top of Takao's.

"Forgive me, Midori-sama.." Takao began, gritting his teeth. "But don't be an idiot! Protecting us means nothing if you harm yourself! We are your vassals! Your servants! We exist to serve you!"

"No, Takao." Midori smiled, shaking her head, her gentle tone startling Takao from his anger. "Neither of you are my servants. You're my friends. All of you are very dear to me, and I couldn't bring myself to harm you. I know how much energy it takes, and how badly it hurts when I use it up. I couldn't make you go through that."

"Baka, Midori-sama!" Takao gasped as he drew Midori into a hug, burying his face in her hair to hide the single tear that rolled down his cheek. Midori turned slightly and wrapped her arms around Takao's chest, gently stroking his back.

"It's alright, Takao. My sight will come back." Midori said reassuringly, still smiling. "I just need to rest and regain my energy, that's all."

"If it's energy you need, then take some of mine." Takao said weakly, placing his hand in Midori's with a gentle squeeze.

"That would be a little counter-productive, don't you think? I was trying to protect you from that pain." Midori chuckled faintly, her unseeing eyes looking somewhat sad.

"Not if it's from me too!" Kotone said, wiping the tears from her cheeks and placing her hand over Takao's.

"Kotone..?" Midori blinked, surprise in her voice.

"Dammit. Don't you get it yet?" Inuyasha grumbled. Kagome was just about to yell at him when he stood and put his hand over Kotone's. "You'll just slow us down if you keep hurting yourself like this."

"I'm not gunna let you guys take all the good parts!" Shippo cried, jumping up into Midori's lap and placing his hand over Inuyasha's.

"But.. I don't even know if this will work!" Midori breathed, tears forming in her eyes.

"_Give it a try._" A small voice whispered in her ear. Midori gasped, her eyes widening at the unfamiliar voice.

Midori's body acted on it's own, waiting for neither permission nor provocation. Midori could feel it taking over and she could do nothing to stop it. Slowly, she felt herself drawing the energy of her friends into her body, and she felt her friends tense, startled by the unfamiliar pull. Midori's eyes fell closed and her body relaxed and slowly went limp, her breathing coming in shallow pants as she leaned against someone's chest. Midori was vaguely aware of her friends' hands pulling away from her own, and she let herself relax, knowing she wouldn't be able to hurt them if she wasn't touching them. Slowly, very slowly, Midori let herself slip into darkness.


	21. My Medicine

**Okay, so I'm breaking my ten-chapters-at-once rule simply because these next two chapters are amazing.**

Warning to Sesshoumaru fan-girls: This chapter will make you giggle and squeal like a schoolgirl. Please remember to be thoughtful towards anyone around you and don't be too loud!

Warning to anyone who is under 18: DON'T READ FURTHER! :3

* * *

><p>Midori woke in the early morning. Or at least she thought it was the early morning because of the lack of light and the fine clouds of mist in the air. Her sight still hadn't returned, but she knew that her friends were still asleep, she could hear their gentle breathing. Slowly, silently, she stood, listening for even the slightest sound of movement. Carefully, she made her way out of camp, following the scent of running water.<p>

Midori's sight may have been gone, but her other senses were perfectly fine. If anything, they seemed amplified, her hearing sharper, her sense of smell more precise, and she could even feel the mist against her skin when she walked into a bank of fog. She was walking towards a stream, she could hear it. Every so often she would bump into a tree, but then decided it wasn't such a bad thing after she realized she had left her scent for her friends. She giggled, thinking of how Kagome and the others would be freaking out when they saw she was missing, but she _really_ needed to bathe.

When Midori reached the stream, she raised her nose to the air, sniffing out any possible dangers. There were a few humans, but they were miles off and no threat to her, and she couldn't sense any demons around aside from her friends. She carefully felt around for a dry rock and nearly bumped into one, about knee-high. The softness of the soil beneath her feet told her she was standing on the bank of the stream, and she knew the gentle warmth on her face was from sunlight. The sun had finally risen over the horizon and Midori slowly removed her kimono and her hiyoku, laying them on the large rock.

Midori slowly crept forward towards the stream untill her toes felt the freezing cold mountain water. She shivered and almost turned back, but thought better of it, charging forward into the water untill it was about thigh-high and then lowered herself into the stream. Once she had forced herself to breathe, she laid back in the water, immersing herself completely. She bathed quickly, combing her fingers through her inky black hair in the water and washing away the sweat and grime that covered her body.

Once she had finished, Midori tore herself out of the water, almost flying back to the rock where her clothing lay. Once she reached the bank, she tugged her hair over her shoulder and wrung it out, shivering so hard that her shoulders trembled and her teeth were chattering. Once she was significantly satisfied that her hair was as dry as it would get without a towel, she began to dress, tugging on her hiyoku and tying the sash around her. Just as her fingers reached for her kimono, she paused. Begrudgingly, she picked up her kimono and walked back into the stream, dunking the sweat-damp fabric into the icy water and rinsing it thoroughly.

She walked back to the rock, soaked kimono in hand, and laid the fabric out to dry. Sighing, she felt around for her leather satchel. She would be here for a while, and she may as well have something to do while her kimono dried. Once she found her bag, she reached into it's depths and her fingers brushed against the smooth wood of her flute. She smiled, pulling it out of the bag. This would do nicely.

* * *

><p>Sesshoumaru had left Jaken and Rin in a field somewhere with Ah-Un, while he went out to track down Naraku on his own. They would be safer there and he didn't want them around him, finding it easier to think without their incessant chattering behind him. Sesshoumaru had been travelling north, investigating all of Naraku's former hideouts along the way. He had just finished exploring once such location when he heard the sound of a flute.<p>

It was faint, but nonetheless, Sesshoumaru stopped in his tracks, straining his ears to listen. What he heard made him go pale and he quickened his pace to find the source of the music. Walking briskly through the forests and the fields, he followed a stream up the mountains as the music grew closer and closer. The scent of Inuyasha and his friends reached his nose, but it barely registered in his mind as he pressed on.

Then he stopped. He was standing in a small clearing along the bank of the mountain stream, everything was glittering in the sunlight, wet with morning dew. Midori was sitting on a rock wearing only her hiyoku, her hair damp and swaying in the late-summer breeze, her eyes closed and her flute pressed to her lips as she played a song that he hadn't heard since childhood. It was a lullaby that his mother had sung to him when he was a child, something he had never expected to hear again once his father passed. He stared at her in wonder, frozen by the sight of her as she played on without noticing his presence.

* * *

><p>Midori finished the piece that Kagome had taught her, the last note nothing more than a sigh into the flute, lowering the instrument to her lap. She didn't open her eyes, because she knew full well her sight hadn't returned and there would be no point. She sighed softly and felt around for her bag, tugging it open and tossing the little flute into it's depths before she tossed the bag away as well. She had hoped her vision would have returned by now, especially since she had basically fed on the energy of her friends. She could still feel their youki within her, humming against her skin, but it hadn't helped at all, she was still surrounded by blackness.<p>

"Where did you learn that song?" Midori froze upon hearing Sesshoumaru's voice. On reflex, her eyes snapped open, but she still couldn't see him. From the scent in the air, he'd just arrived so he hadn't seen anything important, like her bathing.

"Kagome taught me. She said Inuyasha's mother used to sing it for him when he was a child." Midori said, her voice a little colder than she meant it to. Midori groped around behind her for her kimono, only to find it still soaked and she sighed, dropping her head into her hands.

"I see. So my father must have taught Inuyasha's mother. That is all I wanted to know." Sesshoumaru said, turning away to walk back into the forest.

"Wait, Sesshoumaru-Oof!" Midori had gotten up from the rock and taken two steps towards his voice when she tripped and fell to the ground. Hard. Tears burned in her eyes, but she quickly picked herself up, the heat of a humiliating blush creeping to her cheeks. Sesshoumaru had stopped. "I wanted to tell you something. About Naraku."

"Go on." Sesshoumaru's voice sounded colder than ever, but Midori could somehow feel his piercing gaze upon her, and she couldn't help fidgetting, the butterflies in her stomach turning into rampaging bulls.

"He's heading north. We've tracked every castle he's ever been in to date, and every time he changes locations, he moves a little farther north." Midori explained, hoping the topic of Naraku would make him forget she had tripped.

"Why are you telling me this?" Sesshoumaru asked, and Midori's breath caught in her throat. He was moving closer!

"Because.." Midori began, letting her unseeing gaze fall slightly. "I know you want to kill Naraku as much as I do, probably even moreso, and I thought.. It might help.."

"How very human of you." Sesshoumaru scoffed, his voice close by now. Midori could tell he was standing right in front of her and her heart thudded against her chest painfully. She bit her lower lip to keep her composure.

"Your mocking remarks aside," Midori began, her tone every bit as high and mighty as his as she turned away from him, "I thought I would show you kindness, as we are essentially allies, however precarious our alliance may be currently."

"Why aren't you looking at me?" Sesshoumaru's voice caused a chill to run down Midori's spine and she reflexively hugged herself to stop a shiver. "You're acting strangely today."

"Am I?" Midori said coolly, but her voice wavered. She turned back to face him and looked upwards where she thought his face would be, her posture and expression showing defiance.

"You can't see.. Can you?" Sesshoumaru said this as more of a statement than a question, his voice softening slightly. Midori trembled when her secret was found out, suddenly feeling remarkably small.

"So what if I can't?" Midori snapped, turning away from him again, folding her arms over her chest, fear tickling the back of her mind like a feather. "A sightless beast is still a beast. It doesn't lose it's claws."

"Brave words from someone who's trembling." Sesshoumaru breathed in her ear and Midori yelped involuntarily, jumping away a few paces only to slip and fall once again. She growled low, angry with herself as she forced herself to her feet, hearing Sesshoumaru walk towards her.

"So what? You're gloating now?" Midori snarled, her anger blooming in her gut as her hands curled into tight fists, her claws digging into her palms.

"Possibly," He mused. Midori could hear the amusement in his deep voice and she fought back a shiver. "Someone has to humble you. You're just a sightless female daiyoukai, after all."

At his words, Midori stood tall and proud, her jadefire eyes showing defiance and indignation. She wouldn't let him get under her skin, not today, not now, not ever. Sesshoumaru looked down on her and saw the change, everything about her posture showing a brazen rebelliousness he had never thought she could possess, her cheeks flushed with from a mixture of anger and arousal that was confirmed by her scent. He could hear her heartbeat quicken and as smoothly as melted butter, he smiled.

"Go ahead and try." Her voice spoke of a challenge. She was going to stand her ground, never back down, and she would win against him.

"Alright." Sesshoumaru whispered in her ear and Midori tensed, ready for anything except what happened next.

Midori felt movement against her stomache. A slow, deliberate movement that pulled the sash around her waist apart, her hiyoku fluttering open. Her breath caught in her throat, but she still stood her ground even when she felt hands on her shoulders, sliding her hiyoku down her arms to reveal her naked body to the cold mountain breeze and gentle warmth of sunlight. His touch sent such a thrill through her body that warmth bloomed in her core and she bit her lip, a barely contained feral growl emenating from her throat, taking Sesshoumaru by surprise.

She felt him pause for a moment and she saw her opportunity, reaching forward and grabbing his chest-armor, jumping up and hooking her toes into his sash as he went down, the last rational thought in her mind being simply that she would win whatever battle he presented to her. Sightless or not, she knew she was stronger than Sesshoumaru gave her credit for, and she would prove it to him however many times he needed. Sesshoumaru hissed with the surprise of landing on his back on the bank of the stream, but that sound died away when he looked up at the woman that was now straddling him. She snaked a hand around to the back of his head and gently gripped his hair, pulling him close into a fiery, passionate kiss that seemed to burn his insides.

Midori felt Sesshoumaru's hands on her body, moving at a determined pace, bent on feeling every inch of her soft white skin. She felt the warmth of his breath against her face and heard a low growl from him that matched her own. He had been surprised, but no longer, instead trying to take the initiative. Midori smirked, her hands sliding slowly across his armor to unclasp it and remove it from him, tossing it aside haphazardly. Once she had stripped him of his armor, her fingers reached for his muscles, slipping between the folds of his haori and sliding it down his arms as he had done to her hiyoku, all the while maintaining the scalding kiss.

Sesshoumaru's muscles tensed beneath her slightly and then they rolled to the side. Midori knew what he was trying to do and she responded, rolling again before they could stop so that she was once again on top. She grinned down at him, her eyes glittering with amusement as she pinned him, reaching down between them with one hand to startle him into unwilling submission, gently caressing his swollen member through the thin fabric of his hakama. A husky groan replied to her touch and he stilled beneath her as she lowered the fabric, her hands circling his shaft as she stroked his length, moving almost excruciatingly slowly.

She felt his hands find their way to her breasts and she purred softly, enjoying the feeling of his palms against her flesh. Her eyes fell closed and her body began to move on it's own, teasing him with her fingers, the head of his manhood brushing against her bare entrance and then slipping away tauntingly. A low growl tore from Sesshoumaru's throat and Midori giggled as he tensed. He gripped her hand in his and positioned himself at her opening, using his demonic strength to thrust himself into her, throwing common sense to the wind in his haste. But in that moment, he had felt something he had been unaware of.

They both froze, their muscles sweat-slicked and tense. Midori gasped and gripped Sesshoumaru's broad shoulders as she steadied herself, forcing herself to breathe. Sesshoumaru just looked up at her in surprise, his eyes widening slightly. In his haste to rid himself of the animalistic need he had felt for Midori, he had broken something within her that only a maiden could possess. This girl before him, this girl who had challenged him with the strength of a woman.. Had been a virgin, and Sesshoumaru was the one who had stolen away her purity. A shivering wave of pleasure rolled through Sesshoumaru and startled him from his thoughts as he felt Midori's gentle movements, rolling her hips against him ever so slightly, as if she were testing him. He saw a devious grin play across her face and he took that as a sign to continue. Sesshoumaru gripped Midori's hips and rocked her back and forth, and she moved with him untill they had formed their own rhythm, her breath coming in short, airy pants as she leaned forward to capture Sesshoumaru's lips with her own.

Midori began to feel her muscles tighten and she whimpered into the kiss. Sesshoumaru seemed to notice it too and they quickened their pace gruadually untill they were both gasping for air. Soon, Midori felt her whole body shiver with mind-numbing heat and she tensed in Sesshoumaru's arms while he kept up the pace for her, lengthening her climax untill she had relaxed into his arms and allowed him to take control. An almost breast-like groan rumbled from Sesshoumaru's throat, vocalizing his appreciation as he held her close, turning and laying her down on the ground. He took her wrists in one hand and pinned them above her head as she wrapped her legs around his waist, allowing him to possess her. With a renewed vigor, he thrust himself into her, his pleasure only heightened by her startled gasp and breathy mewls as he watched her writhe beneath him, waves of pleasure coursing through her own body once again.

He leaned down and caught one of her rosy nipples between his teeth, almost chuckling at the excited yelp he heard from Midori as he suckled her breast, never slowing his furious pace. They were sex-drunk on each other, their bodies flushed and sweat-slicked, and soon both Midori and Sesshoumaru began to tense, their hold on one another tightening untill they groaned, trembling with the force of their release. Sesshoumaru lowered himself onto her as a pleasant exhaustion took him and he heard her sigh of content as she wrapped her arms around him, welcoming him into her embrace. He smirked slightly, taking in her appearance. Her cheeks were flushed and she was looking up at him, her jadefire eyes locked on his with a warm smile. Her ink-black hair pooled around her like a puddle of silk amidst the fallen leaves and brush along the bank of the stream and her moonlight skin glistened with sweat in the sunlight.

"Well.. I wasn't expecting that.." Midori began, her blush deepening as she chuckled.

"Nor I.." Sesshoumaru admitted, looking down at her. "So you were..?"

"Yeah." Midori nodded, answering his question before he finished it. She smiled up at him, amusement glittering in her eyes. "Why? Did that bother you?"

"I steal your purity, and you ask me if I'm bothered by it?" Sesshoumaru asked, his tone incredulous as he dislodged himself from Midori's body, sitting back on the ground as she sat up."You're such a strange person. Fascinating, but strange."

"You didn't steal it." Midori began with a smirk as she slowly stood, her tails appearing and covering her body as she felt around for her hiyoku. Sesshoumaru blinked, wondering what she could mean when she answered his unasked question. "I gave it to you willingly."

Sesshoumaru chuckled and shook his head as he stood and strode over to Midori, sweeping her up into his arms and walking to the stream. Midori struggled, sensing the impending shock, but to no avail. Sesshoumaru easily walked into the mountain water, ignoring the sudden chill, and lowered her into the water. She let out a shrill yelp and clung to him, shouting out a string of colorful curses that could have made a lesser man flinch, already shivering as their sweat and sex-soaked bodies were washed clean. He ran his fingers through her silky hair, ignoring her protests and half-hearted name-calling as he silently enjoyed the feel of her body pressed against his. He was surprised by how well she fit him, her body perfectly nestled against his own, her fingers curling into his hair as she had resigned herself to bathing again and decided to help him with his hair.

They fell into a merciful silence as they bathed, and soon they left the stream and dressed. Midori's kimono was dry by now and Sesshoumaru helped her dress, fetching her bag and other items for her while she tied her obi and pulled her hair back into a loose bun to keep it off of her neck while she walked. Once they had dressed, Sesshoumaru led her back to the camp where her friends were just waking, and he disappeared into the forest before she could say goodbye.

* * *

><p>Midori had been abandoned by Sesshoumaru just as they had reached the camp. Midori sighed, wondering just what she had expected from that kind of encounter and then she shook her head from her thoughts, turning and walking into camp, her bag slung over one shoulder. She could smell a campfire and the scent of cooking meat reached her nose, making her remember that the last time she had eaten was the day before. Slowly, she walked into camp, holding her arm out in front of her as she walked so she wouldn't bump into anyone. She was greeted by Takao, who had jogged over to her and took her hand, leading her to sit down by the campfire.<p>

"Where the hell have you been?" Inuyasha cried, sounding very close.

"I went to take a bath, Inuyasha. I'm sorry, the next time you want to bathe with me, let me know and I'll wait." Midori said dryly, setting her bag beside her. She could hear Inuyasha spluttering, trying to figure out what to say next. She heard a few chuckles around her, but soon the topic was changed.

"Midori, we had an idea last night, and we wanted to talk to you about it." This was Kagome talking, and Midori felt a hand on top of her own. Kagome was kneeling in front of her.

"What's the idea?" Midori asked, mildly curious. Her curiousity was piqued when she caught the scent of the Samsara Kusabana flower drifting off of Kagome.

"You know that those herbs you grow have your energy in them. Well, I thought if I boiled the herbs, the energy could be captured in the water, and we could use that like eye drops." Kagome explained and Midori nodded, understanding her logic. It was actually a good idea.

"Alright. I don't see the harm." Midori said, holding out her hand. She already knew Kagome had the eye drops in her hand, and soon she felt them placed into her own hand. Midori opened the tiny bottle and leaned her head back, letting the drops fall into her eyes with an annoyed groan. "I'll never get used to that. I hate using eye drops."

"How does it feel? Any better?" Kagome asked as Midori blinked repeatedly, a few tears escaping from her eyes in the process. Midori kept blinking as a strange cooling sensation seeped into her eyes and soon a blurry image formed. At first, Midori thought it was just her imagination and she swayed slightly in surprise.

"It's working." Midori announced, and she felt the wave of relief sweep through the camp. Leaning her head back, she dumped more of the mixture into her eyes and bit back a grumble as she blinked the tears away. "Yeah, it's working. Everything is still really blurry, but it's slowly coming back. I can see Inuyasha's stupid face."

"Hey!" Inuyasha cried, glaring at Midori as she grinned at him, wiping tears from her cheeks, but everyone was laughing, relieved that Midori still had her sense of humor.

Midori continued to use the eye drops while the group ate breakfast, packed up camp, and travelled farther north. They would stop for a few minutes every hour to let Midori sit still long enough to use the mixture before they pressed on. Takao and Kotone held Midori's hands, leading her down the path at a comfortable pace, chatting happily about their memories of the fox village as if to distract her. Midori had to admit, she wasn't paying attention to them at all.

Instead, Midori was thinking about what had happened with Sesshoumaru that morning. Had they really done.. _that_? Was it all just some elaborate dream brought on by stress and hormones? Midori didn't think so. She still felt sore from.. She blushed. She couldn't even bring herself to _think_ those words right now, especially when she was holding hands with Kotone and Takao. That would just be awkward. She knew how sharp demon noses could be, especially Takao's, so she quickly got herself back under control and tried to think of something else.

"_Give it a try._" A voice filtered through Midori's memory and she blinked. She had heard that voice last night when her friends had sacrificed their energy for her. It couldn't have been one of her friends whispering to her, could it?

"Ne.. Last night.." Midori began, looking ahead of her, her vision still somewhat blurry. "When everyone was holding my hand, did anyone say "Give it a try"..?"

"Hm..?" Kagome looked back at Midori with a thoughtful expression. "I was standing right there untill you fainted, and I don't remember anyone saying that. Why?"

"Oh, no reason." Midori waved her off, ignoring the feeling of worry that was beginning to form. "I guess my memory of last night is still a little fuzzy."

The subject changed once again, but Midori had dropped out of the conversation, choosing to remain silent for now. If her memory of last night was still fuzzy and she was mistaken, then that would be fine. She could pass it off as exhaustion and call it a day. But.. But if her memory was correct, and she had heard that voice when no one else had.. Midori pushed away the growing feeling of worry and forced her head high, looking into the distance, squinting her eyes from the bright sunlight. She wouldn't think about it again. She would roll with the punches and work with whatever the world threw at her.

"Oh, Midori-sama! You have a very determined look on your face." Kotone grinned at Midori. "Did you come to a realization of some sort?"

"Yeah, I did." Midori nodded, her reply causing everyone to turn and look at her curiously. "I've realized that you guys are my best friends, and there's no one else in the world I'd rather be with right now. I'm not going to slow you guys down anymore."

"That being said, you still have to fully recover from over-using your energy." Miroku sighed.

"The monk is right for once." Inuyasha chimed in. "You're not allowed to use your energy untill your fully recovered! The only exception is if one of us is dying, got it? Takao, make sure she doesn't do anything stupid."

"Hn." Takao nodded and Midori was shellshocked by how quickly the conversation had swept away from her.

"Fine.. Fine.." Midori sighed, dropping her head in defeat. "I'll put up with it for now."

"That's a good girl!" Miroku beamed, his hand dangerously close to Midori.

"I'm blind, not stupid." Midori grumbled, catching his wrist before he could grope her. Midori looked ahead towards Sango with an evil grin, and Miroku followed her gaze with a cold sweat forming on his brow. "Oh Sango! Miroku just tried to grope me again!"

"AGAIN? Don't tell me he's done it before!" Sango raged, marching up to Miroku and laying into him.

Sango had been yelling at Miroku for the better part of an hour while the group followed the path up into the mountains. Grass was sparse around here, and from what Midori could tell, the trees had near-white papery bark and orange colored leaves. The sunlight filtered through the trees just right and Midori thought the mountain forest almost looked like it was on fire. She hadn't seen trees like this before, and she smiled as she admired them. A cold breeze blew across Midori's skin and a certain chill ran through her, reminding her that autumn was drawing closer.

"Hey, I didn't know if I should mention this before but.." Midori spoke up, interupting Sango's tirade. "What are we all going to do about autumn and winter? Won't it be more dangerous to travel if we're worrying about the rain and snow?"

"Well, autumn isn't too bad if you have an umbrella." Sango said, her tone softer, but she was still glaring at Miroku.

"And Kagome-sama sometimes brings us shelters called 'tents' from the modern era, which we carry along with our own bedroll." Miroku added, glad for the change of topic.

"What about winter then?" Midori asked, looking around at her friends.

"We usually move from place to place. Sometimes we stay with Kaede in exchange for helping her with chores around the village, other times we find an Inn somewhere and wait it out." Inuyasha answered, sounding surprisingly comfortable with that.

"Why don't you all come back to the Eastern Castle this year?" Kotone asked, her expression thoughtful. "The castle should be repaired by then. It was almost finished when Takao and I left."

"Hn." Takao nodded in agreement, glancing down at Midori.

"The castle was almost done when you left?" Midori gaped at Kotone, her eyes wide. "But it's only been two months since then! There's no way the whole castle could have been fixed up that fast!"

"Well, Elder Tomoe did halt work on the garden." Kotone mused. "She said that the garden has been changed with each new clan leader as kind of a tradition, so we should wait and see what you wanted."

"You mean I can change things about the castle?" Midori blinked dumbly, causing quite a few chuckles. "I didn't know I was allowed to do that.."

"Well, it's _your_ castle, baka." Inuyasha smirked, looking back over his shoulder at Midori as the group walked up the mountain path.

"I know. I guess sometimes it just doesn't feel real, y'know?" Midori said, her tone softening slightly. "It's been six months, and it still feels like I'm dreaming."

"Would you like me to pinch you?" Miroku asked with a stupid grin on his face.

"Only if you want me to punch you." Midori replied cheerfully, giving Miroku her best "fox smile". Sango was snickering behind Miroku, hiding her laughter behind her hand.

"Miroku, when will you learn?" Shippo sighed, showing off his unusually high maturity as he shook his head.

"Well, to answer your question, Kotone.." Midori began, smiling. "I'd love to come back to the Eastern Castle for the winter. The only problem I can forsee is Kagome may have to go back and forth between this era and the modern era."

"If that's the only thing you're worried about, then we have an obake-gissha. It's an ox-drawn carriage that flies. It's actually really neat." Kotone explained, smiling.

"Oh, like Sesshoumaru had when we first met him." Kagome added, causing Inuyasha to pause and glare around at his surroundings. "Relax, Inuyasha. He's not here. He's probably someplace far, far away."

"Eheheheh.." Midori forced herself to stay calm, smiling nervously. She probably shouldn't tell anyone that Sesshoumaru was just outside camp this morning, because that would lead to other awkward questions. She quickly changed the subject. "Alright! It's decided then! We'll stay at the Eastern Castle over the winter."

* * *

><p>Naraku's castle lay hidden in the shadow of a mountain, shrouded by thick purple miasma, protected and hidden by his barriers. Clouds hung low over the castle and blocked out any available sunlight, casting a ceaseless and enduring shadow within the castle grounds, like an eternal night.<p>

Kagura stood in a hallway inside the castle, leaning against a wall as she looked out the window disapprovingly. She had come to this place before Naraku took control of it, and it had been beautiful. The castle had been built into the mountain-side, the black tile of the pagoda roof and the pure white stone walls were a perfect addition to the natural grey-black speckle stone of the mountain. Add to that sakura trees that would grow out of the stone, sometimes even on a sheer cliff-face, and because of the cool mountain climate, these sakura trees would stay in bloom long into the summer. At the base of the mountain were grassy rolling hills where sakura trees and peach trees grew naturally around a clear blue lake.

It had been perfect, but then Naraku had taken over the castle in his usual fashion. He destroyed it. The effects of the miasma had killed off all wildlife, the trees withered and died, and the lake dried up within a month. Now the once sweet-smelling breeze was replaced by a foul stagnation and the corpses of the castle's inhabitants were strewn about the grounds, nothing more than skeletons wearing tattered clothing now.

"What are you thinking, Kagura?" Naraku asked, his deep voice sounding amused. Kagura turned away from the window, blanking her face before she looked at Naraku, standing in the hallway beside her.

"I love what you've done with the place." Kagura sighed dryly. There's no way she could speak out against Naraku, and they both knew it.

"Come with me." Naraku said, his voice more of a command than an offer. Kagura followed apprehensively, her scarlet eyes narrowing slightly on Naraku's back as they walked down the hallway and into a huge room. Kanna stood in the center of the room holding her mirror, beside a pile of elaborate cushions and pillows. "Tell me, Kagura. Do you remember that fox-woman from a few months ago?"

"Of course I remember her." Kagura retorted, placing a hand over her ribs. "Why do you ask?"

"Would you like revenge?" Naraku asked, his red eyes glittering with malice.

"If you really want to give it to me." Kagura answered, crossing her arms over her chest. "But how are we going to do that? She's dropped off the face of the earth now, hasn't she?"

"Through Sesshoumaru." Naraku answered as he gestured to Kanna. As she had been ordered, Kanna lifted her mirror to Kagura and an image was displayed. It was Midori, sitting on a rock near a stream, playing a flute while Sesshoumaru watched, an expression of wonder on his face. "He feels for the woman, as the woman feels for him. They had a rather.. _intimate_ moment after that, but I'll spare you the gory details."

The image faded before Kagura's eyes and Kanna lowered her mirror. Kagura couldn't believe what she had just seen. Was Sesshoumaru, the high and mighty, holier-than-thou Lord of the West _really_ just staring at a woman like a lovestruck puppy? That had to be some kind of illusion.. Right?

"Sesshoumaru's weakness is the human child that follows him. Exploit that weakness." Naraku smiled, sending chills through Kagura. She nodded and stalked away, just happy to be getting away from this dreadful castle. Kagura walked out onto a balcony and pulled a feather from her hair, tossing it before her and jumping onto it when it enlarged to the size of a small boat. Kagura flew away as fast as the winds could carry her.


	22. Let The Flames Begin

A young man wearing monk's robes ascended the large stone staircase leading up the mountainside to Miyamori Shrine. His deep brown eyes flickered between troubled and listless, but they were hidden by his short, messy brown hair. His pace was slow, and his whole body felt heavy, but he continued on. It had taken him far too long to return, and Anju-sama was probably going to yell at him.

With a sigh, he reached the top of the steps and brushed the dust from his robes, trying his best to look presentable. He had travelled slowly, stopping in each village in his path and drinking himself stupid, hoping to drown out the words Midori had left him with. Instead, he'd simply made it worse. Looking around now, the shrine was strangely silent, like no one was there. He brushed the chill of worry away and continued on his path towards the empty shrine at the back of the grounds.

Once he reached the empty wooden shrine, he stood before the steps, his feelings of worry and dread now taking root within him. Kyou closed his eyes and sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead at the thought of the impending encounter with the head of his family. But then another feeling reached him. Fear began tickling him at the back of his mind, and the sense of something wrong was growing stronger. Looking around, his sharp eyes scanned the silent shrine grounds as his unease grew and grew.

His gaze fell on a single spot on the stone-covered ground and he tensed, battle ready as he raised his staff. A few tense seconds later, a large, deep purple orb floated up from the ground, stopping at the height of Kyou's shoulders. It felt ominous, almost painfully so, and Kyou glared at it, taking a step back. If he could get to the shrine, he could out-run it!

He turned, but the soul was faster. The near-black hitodama whizzed forward and crashed into Kyou's turned back, and then it slipped inside of him. Kyou cried out in pain and fell to his knees, panting as a cold sweat formed on his brow, and then gradually, he calmed. His breathing silent, Kyou stood, his face expressionless as he took in his surroundings through cold, calculating eyes.

"Oh ho?" A voice came from Kyou, but it was not his. It was deeper, more menacing. "So this boy is from the Abe bloodline, huh? Interesting."

Kyou's form smirked slightly and then turned back to the small one-roomed wooden shrine, gauging it's appearance. Easily, Kyou swept up the stairs and opened one of the sliding doors and looked inside. It was empty, so why had he been trying to hide inside it? Quickly, the spirit scanned the boy's memories and a dark, malicious smile formed on Kyou's face. Kyou took a step inside the shrine and closed the door behind him, disappearing in a flash of blue light.

* * *

><p>Midori and her friends had crossed over the mountain in the space of a few days. Midori was still using the Samsara Kusabana-infused eye drops, and her sight was steadily getting sharper, her vision no longer blurring when she squinted her eyes. Sesshoumaru had not come to Midori since that morning at the stream, but Inuyasha had been sensing a demon nearby. He had complained profusely that it wasn't coming towards them or leaving them, just following at such a distance where he couldn't tell who it was, as if taunting him. Midori could only imagine what Sesshoumaru was doing, trying to tease his brother like that.<p>

The group was now walking through rolling fields at the base of the mountain. The sun was shining brightly and a cool breeze swept through the tall pampas grass, carrying with it the scent of wild cosmos and bellflowers. Midori smiled, looking at her surroundings with appreciation as she listened to her friends' conversations. She had always enjoyed sights like these, pure natural beauty, undamaged by the ravages of time and modern conveniences. Midori had been able to see the vast expanse of the ocean to the east while they were still atop the mountain, her eyes glittering with awe. She had never seen the ocean before, and Kagome had laughed, saying the ocean wasn't really that special.

Midori and her friends travelled through the day untill Midori could see a pine forest stretching on for miles before them. They reached the treeline of the pine forest at sunset and began to set up camp for the night. Inuyasha and Takao went and collected various types of meat, boar and rabbit, while Kagome and Sango set up a campfire and Kotone and Shippo went to gather water. Midori and Miroku laid out the blankets around the camp fire and sat down, enjoying the gentle glow of the flickering flames.

After dinner had begun cooking, everyone sat down to wait while Midori and Kagome tended the flames and seasoned the meat, listening to stories of childhood and heroic tales of battle. The gentle breeze seemed to grow stronger and Midori looked up at the night sky, her eyes narrowing, her happy expression fading to one of tense surveillance.

"Midori-chan?" Kagome blinked, looking up at Midori while she knelt before the fire. "Is something wrong?"

"Yeah. I smell Kagura and Rin-chan's scent.. Something happened." Midori answered, standing up and facing the south, where Sesshoumaru's scent was coming from. "I have to go see Sesshoumaru."

"Sesshoumaru? How do you know he's here?" Inuyasha jumped up, looking at Midori with an expression of shock.

"There's no time to explain. We have to go!" Midori pressed, her sense of urgency growing as her hands curled into fists.

Soon, the group stood and abandoned the camp, grabbing their things with lightning-like speed before Midori took off towards the south, directly towards the demonic presence Inuyasha had been sensing for the last few days. The group ran quickly through the tall pampas grass, leaving trails of swaying plants in their wake. Just as they had crossed half-way back toward the mountain Inuyasha went pale.

"NARAKU!" Inuyasha shouted ahead at the retreating forms of his friends. Everyone stopped and turned, looking back at him. "I can smell him! He's close!"

"But what about Sesshoumaru?" Midori shouted back, feeling torn about what she should do. She looked at Inuyasha and then turned her gaze to the south, sensing Sesshoumaru's growing rage as it moved to the west.

"Leave him!" Inuyasha growled, taking Midori's hand and pulling her along. "He's a big boy, he can handle himself!"

Growling softly, Midori resigned herself, yanking her hand from Inuyasha's and taking off towards the west. Inuyasha was running with Kagome on his back, Midori, Takao and Kotone ran on foot, and Sango, Miroku and Shippo rode Kirara. Like a small spark being fanned to life, Midori felt her anger blossom within her. Naraku had finally shown himself, and Midori breathed in his true scent, memorizing it and engraving it into her mind so she would never forget.

Soon, the group came to the edge of a forest. Inuyasha was in the lead and he stopped suddenly when he ran headlong into a barrier. The group came to a stop behind him and caught their breath, but something was strange about Midori. She wasn't even winded, instead, she walked up to the barrier and placed her hand against it, a soft growl rumbling through her chest.

"Inuyasha, can you break this?" Midori asked without looking back. Inuyasha grumbled and stood up, dusting himself off.

"Heh! Of course I can!" Inuyasha drew his sword and aimed it at the barrier, glowing red.

"I'll be going on ahead." Midori said, placing her hand on the ground and focusing her energy into it. A tunnel opened up at her feet and she dropped inside without another word.

"Hey! Wait the hell up!" Inuyasha shouted, swinging his red-glowing sword against the barrier, shattering it, but Midori was already long gone.

"Where do you think she went?" Kotone looked down into the hole with a look of shock.

"Let's go." Takao said simply and dropped into the hole, followed by Kotone.

Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Miroku and Shippo ran on ahead on ground level while Takao and Kotone were met with a strange sight. When they landed inside the hole, a tunnel had been formed through the earth, lined with overgrown roots so well that not a speck of dirt could be seen, and small floating orbs of fox fire lined the tunnel, casting an eerie green glow. Midori was nowhere to be seen, but there were faint claw marks in the roots, heading deeper into the tunnel.

"Sesshoumaru! How nice of you to come!" Naraku's voice could be heard above Midori and she stilled, listening as the flicker of her fox fire caused the shadows to dance around her. "Unfortunately for you, your princess is in another castle. My miasma would certainly kill a human, so that little girl had been taken to another location for safe-keeping."

"You think I have come for the sake of a human?" Sesshoumaru's voice was so cold, Midori flinched. Rin had been kidnapped? Midori's mind reeled and she fought back a shudder of rage.

"Oh, I know you haven't come for her. You're far too proud for that. You've come to kill me, haven't you?" Naraku crooned, and the air around Midori seemed to ripple with the malice of Naraku and Sesshoumaru facing off. Even though most of the conversation was muffled, she could _feel_ the hatred rolling off of Sesshoumaru.

The sounds of battle rose in volume above her and Midori placed her hand against the root-wall, poised for just the right moment. She could hear Takao and Kotone running towards her, and she took a steadying breath, trying to sooth her own emotions. She would keep herself calm this time and kill Naraku once and for all. He was right there, above her, completely unaware of her presence! It was such a sweet, triumphant feeling knowing that her malice was about to be satisfied, but it was tainted by a growing sense of unease.

"Oh? Is something the matter, Naraku?" Sesshoumaru's voice sounded very close, and Midori grinned, her claws sharpening. It was almost time! "It would seem you have some unexpected guests."

"Yes, I believe you are right, Sesshoumaru." Midori froze. Had Naraku sensed her? "And as such, I'm afraid I don't have the time to keep you occupied any longer. Come now and become one with my body!"

A wave of menacing youki pulsed through the air and earth and Midori went pale, looking up at the root-covered soil above her, her eyes wide. Sesshoumaru's presence had vanished completely. Had Naraku just killed him..? Midori couldn't think, her claws grew sharper and shredded the root-wall in front of her as she dragged her fingers across it unconsciously.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken's high-pitched wail woke Midori from her trace.

A low growl ripped from Midori's throat and time seemed to slow. Midori crouched down, feeling her muscles tense and her breathing still, her eyes closed as she jumped up, bursting forth from the ground, her arms around her face to shield her eyes from the dirt. When she removed her arms and looked around, gracefully gliding down to stand before Naraku, she saw a tightly wrapped ball of tentacles, pure energy pulsing from within it. She could vaguely hear Jaken's startled cry as she turned to face Naraku, all her rage and anger focused _directly_ on him.

"Naraku!" Midori seethed, her voice barely intelligible beneath the rising growl, her jadefire eyes locked on his startled crimson eyes as clumps of soil and shards of stone fell around her.

"My my! You've shown up at such an interesting time, Tamamo no Midori." Naraku's face split into a smile, but a flicker of worry appeared in his eyes. "But alas, I have already absorbed your lover!"

Midori froze, glancing over at the bundle of pulsating tentacles, her mind going blank. Midori's claws her sharper still as she kicked off her geta, feeling her muscles tense like a rubber band being pulled. She drew her sword in one fluid motion and crouched low into her battle stance, her blade glinting dangerously in the moonlight before it glowed a sharp green, jade-colored fox fire erupting along it's length.

"Jaken." Midori said, looking over her shoulder at the cowering imp, her eyes beginning to bleed red with a barely controlled rage, her words half-hissed beyond her slowly-growing fangs as she fought her transformation. "Try and wake your master from his beauty sleep while I kill this bastard."

Jaken's eyes widened as a slow-creeping fear took hold of him, but to his relief, Midori didn't wait for his response. Instead, she turned back to face Naraku and promptly.. _disappeared_. One moment she was there, and the next she was gliding down on the air above Naraku, bringing her sword crashing down on the barrier that encased him like a bubble. Her sword cut into the barrier like butter, but it slowed and got stuck as though it had been travelling through a thick gel.

"Naraku!" Inuyasha's voice shouted from somewhere nearby. Midori gripped her sword, using it as leverage and kicked off, soaring backwards through the air and landing next to Inuyasha. "Midori?"

"You're late." Midori snarled, her eyes never leaving Naraku as she tensed into a more animalistic battle stance, her claws poised and ready. Even her toenails had grown long and sharp, and she was streaked with dirt, her youki pouring off of her in waves, giving off a hellish appearance in the moonlight. "Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru is in that sack of tentacles. Avoid hitting that. I'm going to tear Naraku's barrier apart. You get ready."

"Are you sure you'll be able to get out of the way in time?" Inuyasha asked, his voice sounding grim as he gripped his sword in front of him, looking unsure.

"No." Midori answered simply and she ran ahead, springing up at the last second to avoid one of Naraku's tentacles, bringing her claws to the barrier and slashing through it with such ferocity the barrier wavered, looking like purple jello. The barrier peeled away with the force of Midori's claws and Inuyasha was ready for it.

"Kaze no kizu!" Inuyasha bellowed, bringing his blade down with all of his might, sending an attack of golden light barreling towards Midori and Naraku. Time slowed once again and Naraku looked down at Midori in horror. Midori grinned, her eyes triumphant as she held the barrier open, blood oozing from her fingers and sizzling against the purple energy.

Just as Inuyasha's attack was passing by the pulsating orb of tentacles, blue energy burst forth in an explosion, scattering meaty pieces of Naraku's tentacles. The blast from the explosion travelled to Inuyasha's attack and nullified it, sending it skittering off course, harmlessly destroying the nearby castle wall in the process. Midori gasped and turned, her eyes locking with the molten-gold gaze of Sesshoumaru as he stepped from the destroyed tentacles, his sword drawn and lowered at his side.

"Sesshoumaru..!" Midori breathed, temporarily forgetting what she was doing. Naraku saw an opening and he took it, raising a tentacle and slapping Midori away from him, sending her flying back towards Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. She gasped at the pain as she shoved off of Naraku's tentacle before it could crush her against the broken stone-paved ground, flipping in mid-air and landing on the pavement, teetering slightly as she regained her balance.

"Midori-sama!" Takao and Kotone jumped up from the crumbling hole Midori had left in her haste to kill Naraku, rushing to her side. They saw her holding her ribs, dropped down on one knee as she glared at Naraku in the early stages of barely-controlled transformation, her tails clearly visible as they lashed through the air behind her.

"Get behind me." Midori growled, forcing herself to her feet. She was in pain, but she would not allow herself to appear weak, even as a blackening bruise formed beneath the shreds of her kimono for all the world to see.

"Sesshoumaru! What the hell are you doing here?" Inuyasha shouted, glancing passed Midori at his brother.

"Killing Naraku." Sesshoumaru answered simply, never taking his eyes from his prey.

"Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, let's not fight over who has the right to kill this insufferable asshole." Midori let a feral grin touch her lips as she stepped between them, acting as a mediator. Flickering green lights began to form around her like fireflies, taking everyone by surprise. "Instead, let's all attack him and be rid of him once and for all."

"Don't slow me down." Sesshoumaru said coolly, raising his sword above his head, poised to attack as blue energy seemed to gather around his blade.

"Why you..!" Inuyasha snarled at Sesshoumaru, but he raised his sword as well, drawing his own youki into his blade.

Midori said nothing, instead glaring at Naraku as her own energy flickered around her in the form of fireflies and fox fire. The three figures gathered all their youki, ready to end the battle in one stroke. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha brought down their swords, releasing their attacks. Their energies tore up the pavement and mingled together, barrelling towards Naraku at a frightening speed as Midori's fireflies blurred into ribbons of light, circling around to attack on either side of Naraku.

Time slowed and Midori waited breathlessly for the attacks to connect. She could vaguely sense Kagome and the others behind her, watching, but she wouldn't look away. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's attacks swirled around each other and grew stronger, and Midori's attacks swooped in from the sides to cut off any possible retreat. She saw Naraku's frightened eyes look around him for any route, and then his expression of panic turned into a darkened scowl. Midori watched as he shed his tentacles and shot into the air, avoiding the attack entirely.

The explosion from the ensuing attacks created such a powerful blast wave that Naraku's remains disintegrated into particles much too small to see and then destroyed them further untill no trace was left. Midori, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru braced themselves against the force of the blast, Midori's dirt and blood-streaked tails wrapping around her like a shield before she could confirm if Naraku was destroyed.

The roar of the attack slowly died down to a soft rumble and then silence continued for a few seconds. Midori pulled her tails away and looked around, her eyes widening. The castle was left in ruins, completely destroyed around them while scorchmarks marred the stone-paved ground. Sesshoumaru was staring at something in the distance when Midori walked up beside him, following his gaze. It was Naraku!

"He got away by shedding the tentacles at the last minute.." Sesshoumaru half-growled, gripping his sword tighter.

"I could probably get him." Midori crouched low, about to transform when a spike of pain shot through her body. She winced and faltered, dropping to one knee with a growl of frustration.

"You're in no condition." Sesshoumaru said, turning and walking down the hill and into the forest, following a familiar scent.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken cried, waddling after his master as quickly as he could. Midori sat there with her hands pressed to her ribs as Inuyasha, Kagome and the others walked up behind her.

"He got away, huh?" Kagome asked softly, looking off into the distance.

"Yeah. Apparently Rin was kidnapped, and that's why Sesshoumaru was here. Naraku tried to absorb him." Midori groaned, trying to draw in a shaky breath as she stood, only to double over coughing, tasting blood in her mouth. "Dammit. Naraku really got me good this time.."

"Baka! What the hell were you trying to do, rushing ahead like that? I thought we told you...!" Inuyasha had been shouting, grabbing Midori's upper arms and roughly pulling her upwards to face him when he suddenly fell silent. Midori knew why. A scent had reached his nose, as well as hers, and it seemed familiar, like Sango's scent. Inuyasha's eyes widened and he looked passed Midori into the forest nearby, in the same direction that Sesshoumaru had gone to collect Rin. "Kohaku!"

* * *

><p>Sesshoumaru walked down the hill and into the forest, away from the destroyed castle and towards Rin's scent. He walked through the forest casually, there was another scent near Rin's, but it was just a human's so it didn't worry him. Admittedly, his mind was on other things. He replayed the last few seconds of his battle against Naraku in his mind, watching it again and again. The three attacks from Inuyasha, Midori and himself, had combined together into an attack far stronger than he had imagined, and it wasn't simply because of Tessaiga and Tokijin's energies combined. Midori's energy had mingled with the rest at the last second, almost vaporizing anything and everything nearby. The ground had rocked with the force of the explosion and it very nearly threw him back, had he not sunk Tokijin into the ground at the last second.<p>

There was something strange about Midori, that he knew well, and he surmised that Midori didn't even know just how different she was from other demons, or even how different she was from other daiyoukai. Sighing, Sesshoumaru shook himself from his thoughts and brought himself back into reality when he walked out of the forest, Rin's scent growing nearer.

Sesshoumaru walked up the small, grassy hill and stopped at the top, staring at what he saw, his blood suddenly running cold. Rin lay in the grass, unmoving, and above her crouched a boy barely older than fourteen years, holding a kusarigama poised over Rin's throat. Sesshoumaru looked from Rin's face to the boy's, taking in every detail in a fraction of a second.

"Waaaiiiiitttt!" Midori's shouting voice halted all thoughts as a flash of red and white appeared out of nowhere and Midori tackled the boy, knocking his weapon away and wrapping him up in her tails so forcefully that he couldn't move. She let out a sigh of relief before she looked up at Sesshoumaru, ignoring the boy's struggling. "This is Sango's brother! He's been under Naraku's control since their village was destroyed.. He didn't hurt Rin, she's just unconscious.."

"Is that so.." Sesshoumaru calmed himself, almost instantly regaining his composure. Inuyasha and the rest of his pack were now running onto the scene, looking breathless and shaken as they looked around, noticing Rin's slight body and Kohaku struggling within Midori's tails. Kagome ran over to Rin and nodded to Sesshoumaru, confirming that his ward was fine.

"Oie! Knock it off, brat! That hurts!" Midori cried, struggling to keep Kohaku wrapped within her tails as he thrashed like one possessed, pulling and biting against his restraints. Midori raised a hand to the back of the boy's neck and tapped him lightly, knocking him unconscious. The boy stilled and relaxed in her arms as Sango ran over to her brother. "He's fine, but he'll have a headache when he wakes up."

"Alright.." Sango said sadly, taking her brother into her arms as Midori released him, standing.

Midori stood and walked over to Sesshoumaru, holding a hand to her ribs with an exhausted grin. Sesshoumaru quirked a brow at this and watched her as she came to a stop before him, her smile widening as she folded her arms across her chest, her eyes twinkling with a look of triumph.

"And what are you smiling about?" Sesshoumaru asked, merely to sate his curiousity.

"You were worried about me." Midori said quietly, her voice almost musical.

"Oh? When was this?" Sesshoumaru mused, his tone lowered, feigned arrogance glittering in his molten-gold gaze.

"When I was about to sacrifice myself so Inuyasha could kill Naraku." Midori said matter-of-factly, looking up at Sesshoumaru closely. "You burst out of that bundle of tentacles pretty quick after that."

"I was merely tired of being incapacitated." Sesshoumaru drawled, an expression of boredom crossing his face.

"Mhm.. Sure." Midori grinned knowingly, her jadefire eyes narrowing as she grinned up at Sesshoumaru. "And yet you blew away the attack that could have killed me, and the first person you looked at was me."

"Your wounds have made you delusional. Go and tend to yourself." Sesshoumaru answered, turning and walking up to Rin as she was beginning to wake up. "Rin. Wake up. It's time to leave."

"Fujin no Mai!" A voice shouted suddenly and Midori whirled around to see dozens of glowing white crescent-shaped blades flying at Sango and Kohaku.

Midori acted on impulse, dodging the first few blades as she dove over Sango and sheilded her friend with her tails. A few blades cut through the strong fur, staining the snow white fur with streaks of red. Midori grit her teeth and bit back a whimper of pain as she pulled back her tails. Sango wasn't hurt badly, but she was unconscious. Midori laid her down and turned to face Kagura, only to find that she wasn't there anymore.

"Baka Kitsune-onna!" Kagura laughed from behind Midori. Midori whirled to see Kagura, gripping the back of Kohaku's armor and hauling him up onto her feather, rising high into the air. "You should have killed me when you had the chance!"

"Kohaku!" Midori cried, jumping high into the air, but it was too late. Kagura was already flying away. Midori tried to transform mid-air but pain suddenly shot through her body and she clutched her ribs, free-falling downwards. Midori braced for the inevitable impact only to be surprised when a pair of strong arms gently caught her, cradling her against a strong, armored chest. The familiar musky scent of sandalwood reached her nose and Midori sighed in relief. "Sesshoumaru..."

Sesshoumaru landed gracefully on the grass, holding Midori in his arms as he watched Kagura fly away with Kohaku. An unfamiliar feeling of possessiveness and rage bubbled up inside of him, directed at Kagura for hurting Midori, for hurting what was his..! Sesshoumaru blinked and the feeling evaporated. His? Midori was his? What nonsense. Midori hated him! But if that were the case, then what happened back at the stream? Though stranger things have happened.. The feeling of a delicate hand grip his armor shook him from his whirling thoughts and he looked down to see Midori staring up at him, her lips curved into a soft smile.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru. I'm fine now." Midori spoke quietly, but her voice wavered slightly. She was still in pain, and a cold sweat was forming on her brow, her eyes glittering with half-formed tears. Sesshoumaru didn't put her down, instead he strode over to Midori's vassal, Takao, and thrust the startled girl into his arms. "Sesshoumaru? Eep!"

"Tend to that foolish girl." Sesshoumaru grumbled and turned away, walking back towards the forest. "Rin, Jaken, we're leaving."

And with that, Sesshoumaru left, his vassal and ward trailing behind him as he disappeared into the forest and out of sight. There was a stunned silence for a moment before all eyes turned to Midori, who looked plenty stunned herself as she looked at the spot where Sesshoumaru had been, her eyes wide. Had Sesshoumaru just answered her unspoken question yet again? Had he answered her by rejecting her again? Midori couldn't think as she blinked back tears, shaking her head. No, she wouldn't cry again. She had already mourned her heart, and to do so again would be foolish.

"Takao, set me down." Midori sighed, and Takao obeyed, gently setting Midori on her feet and holding her arm while she got her balance. Miroku and Kagome were already waking Sango and tending to her wounds, and Kotone was looking over Midori's shredded kimono with an exasperated sigh. Midori looked down at herself and groaned, placing a hand to her forehead. She was completely indecent, tears and rips in the fabric of her kimono showing off a rediculous amount of skin that was mostly covered in bruises or drying blood. She sighed, mourning the loss of another kimono. "Great.. Well, another one bites the dust.."

"Here, Midori-sama." Takao spoke from behind her and Midori felt fabric being gently laid over her head and shoulders like a cloak. Midori turned and looked up at Takao, only to find him shirtless, standing behind her wearing only his hakama and his chest armor. He had covered Midori with his haori.

"Arigato.." Midori mumbled, hiding her blush in the folds of Takao's haori. He looked _really_ good like that.. Absent-mindedly, she wondered how Sesshoumaru had looked shirtless, remembering that she had been temporarily blind when they had their _encounter_ at the stream. Midori was silently kicking herself for it now, but still.. It had been..

"Midori-sama?" Kotone's face suddenly appeared in Midori's field of vision, very close. Midori gasped and stepped back, startled, but Takao caught her before she fell over. "Are you okay? Your face is really red and you look like you're trying to hide in that haori!"

"Kotone!" Midori whined, only blushing more now that Kotone had so aptly pointed it out, causing everyone to turn and look. Kagome and Sango saw Midori, and then looked behind her to the shirtless Takao and instantly blushes formed on their cheeks as well. Midori quickly pulled Kotone aside, near Kagome and Sango for a little girl talk. "How can you _not_ be blushing when you see Takao like that?"

"Eh?" Kotone blinked, looking over at Takao as Miroku, Inuyasha and Shippo walked over to him, looking back at the group of girls with confusion plainly written on their faces. "Well Takao and I grew up together.. When we were kids, we bathed together so seeing him without his shirt on isn't that big a deal.. Is it?"

"EH?" Midori, Kagome and Sango cried in unison, startling the guys and causing Miroku to plead with Inuyasha to eavesdrop.

"What?" Kotone asked, her head tilting in confusion.

"Kotone.. Sometimes.. You can be _really_ dense!" Sango breathed, resting a hand on Kotone's shoulder as a show of support.

"Oh, like you're one to talk." Midori grinned at Sango. Kagome covered her mouth with her hand to hide her giggles.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Sango asked, looking remarkably like Kotone in that moment.

"Nevermind. Come on, lets go find someplace to camp out. I have to tend to these wounds." Midori shook her head and started walking towards the group of boys, Kotone, Kagome and Sango following behind her.

Midori and her friends found a quiet place to camp at a hot spring a fair distance away from Naraku's now abandoned castle. The menacing atmosphere around the castle seemed to disperse slowly, and Midori allowed herself to relax. The girls' were the first into the hot springs while Takao kept a careful eye out for Miroku, even though he was admittedly tempted as well, especially when he heard Midori's soft squeak when she lowered herself into the water.

Midori laid back in the warm water with a sigh, casually flicking a finger this way and that, tossing small green fireballs onto the surrounding rocks for light. Kotone, Kagome and Sango were soaking nearby as well, and Midori could feel her energy slowly returning, her wounds healing themselves as she directed her energy to the right places. Midori closed her eyes and stretched luxuriously in the water and sighed when she relaxed, opening her eyes and standing up, the water level reaching just barely above the swell of her hips.

"Kagome-chan, can I borrow your shampoo?" Midori asked, stepping around a rock to where Kagome and Sango were bathing. They looked up at her and blinked, taking in her form in such a way that Midori blushed and covered her breasts with one arm. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Oh, sorry.." Kagome mumbled, blushing herself as she looked away. "I'm just surprised by your markings, that's all."

"What do you mean?" Midori asked, looking down at herself. She had swirling scarlet markings curling around her neck and shoulders like a loose necklace. On her back, the markings trailed down her spine untill they reached the swell of her hips, while two thin streaks adorned Midori's ribs like claw marks, the lower two of which joined together in a hollow circle around her navel, reaching downwards into a slight, suggestive point. Midori had two scarlet bands on her upper arms and on her thighs, and interlocking swirls on the tops of both hands and both feet.

"They're very beautiful, Midori-chan." Sango admitted, passing Midori the shampoo.

"Arigato.." Midori mumbled, a faint blush forming on her cheeks as she took the shampoo and snuck away. Midori quickly bathed, washing the dried blood and grime from her hair before rinsing out the curling tresses, looking like swirls of ink in the clear water.

Midori slowly let herself relax in the water once again, sighing in sweet relief that her body was clean and no longer ached. Her energy had returned fully now, and her wounds had healed. Midori smiled, letting her eyes fall closed and allowing herself to enjoy the short moment of bliss. And then she felt movement in the water beside her.

"Midori-chan.." Midori's eyes flew open and snapped to the person next to her. It was Takao!

Takao was standing naked before her, the water reaching up to his navel, perfectly obscurring anything below that from view. He was smiling so sweetly as he moved closer and took Midori into his arms, hugging her close. Midori was stunned as a blush crept to her cheeks and her eyes widened when his scent reached her nose. Wait..

"Wait a second.." Midori narrowed her eyes, reaching back and grabbing a fluffy orange tail. "SHIPPO!"

"Eheheheheh! Kotone told me to transform into Takao and come visit you, Kagome and Sango." Takao smiled impishly and then transformed into Shippo, snuggling into Midori's arms. "She told me to make sure I kept the water up to my waist though.. I don't get that."

"Eh heh.. That's fine, Shippo.." Midori sighed and sat back in the water, feeling dizzy. "Don't worry about it."

"Are you okay?" Shippo blinked and pressed his small hand to Midori's forehead. "You don't have a fever, but you're really red, Midori. Maybe it's time to get out of the water.."

"Actually.." Midori opened her eyes, suddenly having a stroke of pure genius. "I just got an idea!"

"Midori-chan! We're getting out now, are you coming?" Kagome called, standing a short ways away with Kotone and Sango, fully dressed.

"Not yet! I'll be back at camp in a little bit!" Midori answered. "Make sure the boys stay at camp!"

"Alright, alright!" Kagome called back with a sigh. "Come on, lets go see what the boys made for dinner. I'll see if we have any ramen left over."

Kagome, Sango and Kotone walked back to camp where they saw Inuyasha, Miroku and Takao sitting around the fire. Takao must have done the cooking, because a kettle of stew was bubbling over the fire, a delicious smell wafting through the air.

"I'm tellin' ya, Miroku. Takao would probably seriously injure you if you were to go spy on Midori." Inuyasha grumbled, looking exhausted. "Not to mention what Sango would do to you afterwards."

"But it would be so worth... GACK!" A stone had just come zipping out of the forest brush, interrupting Miroku's wistful words when it hit him squarely between the eyes.

"Shut it, ero-monk." Sango growled as she, Kagome and Kotone stepped into the firelight.

"Oh, hey." Inuyasha waved half-heartedly. "Where's Midori?"

"She's back at the hotspring still." Kagome answered, sitting down at the fire with a contented sigh. "So you boys will have to wait untill after dinner to bathe."

"Ehh! But I feel so dirty!" Miroku whined, feigning an innocent, pouty expression. "Gacksruplt!"

"What did I just say?" Sango glared at Miroku, tossing another small stone in her hand while Miroku rubbed his temple from Sango's latest assault.

"Mirokuuuu-!" Inuyasha's laughing, cheerful voice rang through the forest, startling everyone around the campfire.

"Inuyasha! Come back here-!" Miroku's tender voice echoed, and a faint rustling in the brush caused everyone to turn.

A few moments of silence passed before all of a sudden, Miroku and Inuyasha burst forth from the brush, wearing nothing but little white fundoshi, their hair wet and glittering with beads of water, laughing and giggling like school-children as Miroku chased Inuyasha right passed the campfire and back into the forest. Kagome and Sango just blinked, looking at the treeline before quickly looking to Inuyasha and Miroku, who were still sitting at the campfire, looking just as stunned.

'WHAT THE HELL?" Inuyasha cried, spluttering.

"Oh, Miroku-!" Inuyasha's cooing voice answered, echoing through the forest followed by Miroku's innocent laughter.

"What in the world is going on?" Sango and Kagome interogated Inuyasha and Miroku in unison. Takao just sat stock still, looking a little shellshocked while Kotone was trembling with silent laughter.

"Oh, like I would know!" Inuyasha shouted back, looking at Kagome like he was completely aghast.

Sango and Kagome quickly grabbed Miroku and Inuyasha, tearing off into the forest following the sounds of laughter, leaving Kotone and Takao behind at the fire. After a few moments, they arrived at the hotsprings and froze in their tracks.

There, in the faint flickering green light of the fox fire, were Inuyasha and Miroku standing in the water, looking up at Kagome, Sango and their identical counterparts with innocent expressions, Inuyasha washing Miroku's back, their fundoshi tossed aside on a nearby rock. Kagome and Sango looked like they were about to faint.

"What the hell is this?" Inuyasha spluttered, glaring at his very effeminate counterpart.

"I don't see what the big deal is.." The feminine Inuyasha answered, pressing a clawed finger to his lips in quiet contemplation, his golden eyes glittering with innocence. "I'm just helping Miroku bathe.."

"Just out of curiousity, where is Midori and Shippo?" Miroku asked, scanning the hotspring and finding it deserted.

"Eh..?" Kagome and Sango looked around to no avail, Midori and Shippo were nowhere in sight.

The two effeminate doubles started snickering quietly. The Miroku-double promptly jumped up into the Inuyasha-double's arms and shrunk into Shippo, laughing like only an innocent little kid could. The Inuyasha-double turned into Midori, hugging Shippo to her chest and laughing like only an adult, who knew _exactly_ what had happened, could. Kagome, Sango and Inuyasha were floored, staring at Midori and Shippo as though bombshells had been dropped on their heads. Miroku just shook his head and sighed, turning his back to Midori and closing his eyes before Sango hit him again.

"MIDORI-CHAN?" Sango and Kagome screeched in unison, causing Midori to flinch and cover her ears in between fits of laughter.

"I'm sorry! Kotone gave me the idea!" Midori laughed, holding Shippo in her arms in such a way that her modesty wasn't in question. "_You should have seen your faces when we ran right by the camp!_"


	23. A Moment Of Truth

_Sesshoumaru rolled over in his bed and felt a warmth beside him that made him smile. Sunlight filtered in through the windows and he could hear the subtle song of the morning birds when he opened his eyes. Sesshoumaru looked around the room to see the bed surrounded by star-shaped red blossoms, giving off the most pleasing scent he had ever encountered._

_And laying next to him was the most beautiful woman he had ever met. She lay there on her side, still sleeping soundly while Sesshoumaru looked over his mate, drinking in her appearance like cool water on a hot summer day. Her ink black hair curled around the pillows like pools of silk, framing her oval-shaped face, moonlight white skin blushed ever so slightly with pink, her rosy lips were parted slightly, giving her a look of innocence. _

_Sesshoumaru smiled in appreciation, sliding one hand down her side and lowering to her protruding belly where he could feel his pups kicking, only to pull away slightly in surprise when he heard the faintest of giggles. The woman rolled onto her back and looked up at him, her jadefire gaze and scarlet markings causing Sesshoumaru's eyes to widen slightly._

_She was so beautiful, his heart ached._

* * *

><p>Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped open as he sat bolt upright, very nearly slipping from the treebranch he had been resting on. For a moment, he couldn't recognize his surroundings and he looked around for his pregnant mate before he realized that it had all been a very vivid dream. Sitting back down in the branch and relaxing into a frustrated languor, he folded his arms across his chest and surveyed his temporary domain.<p>

The sun was just beginning to rise and Rin and Jaken were still asleep. Rin was curled up next to the fire in a bedroll she'd recieved from Kagome, and Jaken was sitting against the base of a tree, looking as if he were trying to impersonate Sesshoumaru with his pose. The remenants of the fire smoked steadily as the wind kept the coals from burning out completely, and the smoke floated up towards the sky, the color of the smoke matching the cloud-cover perfectly. Sesshoumaru frowned. It was the beginning of the rainy season.

Gracefully slipping from his perch, Sesshoumaru landed in the grass silently, walking over and tossing a few well-placed logs on the dying fire, bringing it back to life within minutes. The orange glow from the firelight flickered in the breeze before it roared to life, crackling and popping merrily in the dim pre-dawn light. Ah-Un stirred from his distant nest below a tree, one head rising from sleep to look around cautiously only to relax back into a light sleep when it saw that the noise had only been it's master.

Sesshoumaru stalked back to his tree and resumed his place on the wide branch, looking to the east as the sun steadily rose above the distant mountains. He sighed slightly, his face pinching into a miniscule scowl. He had been dreaming of Midori, and it had left him so disoriented that he actually woke and continued to believe she was his mate. He had looked for her desperately, listening to all his senses before he had fully woke to the realization that he had no mate.

He remembered the sleepy smile on her lips as she watched him, the _knowing_ look in her eyes when she looked down at his hand, hovering over her belly as she giggled. He could see every detail flash before his eyes even now. The curl of her hair, the sparkle of her eyes, the glow of her skin that a woman only gets during pregnancy, he even noticed that her breasts had grown slightly and that her scent was much sweeter, smelling of a flower he had never seen before. But what had frustrated him the most was the blissful _ache_ he felt in his heart, for he felt it so strongly that he had nearly wept!

A low growl slipped from Sesshoumaru's throat and woke a few of the morning birds, causing them to quickly fly away. Sesshoumaru didn't have time for a mate. He had to kill Naraku and surpass his father. He had to get Tessaiga and put his hanyou brother in his place! The only reason he had not yet killed Inuyasha is because he was an ally in the fight against Naraku.

"_Stop lying to yourself. You already know you couldn't hurt your little brother._" Midori's voice rang through Sesshoumaru's mind, startling him. He looked around, but found no trace of her, sight or scent.

Sesshoumaru let out a heavy sigh and actually pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to regain his steely composure. It had been two weeks since that day at the stream, where he and Midori had lost themselves to their desires, and he had not seen her once since he passed her off to her vassal for the treatment of her wounds after the battle with Naraku. He had been happy to rid himself of such a tempting distraction, but he had begrudgingly admitted to himself that he felt oddly cold without her presence nearby.

Sesshoumaru looked up and his eyes narrowed slightly. Jaken and Rin began to stir slightly as the sun rose completely over the mountains, burning off the fine valley mist and returning color to the world, however muted those colors were in this season. Jaken sat up with a yawn and quickly went about his morning chores before Rin woke fully. Even Ah-un could sense Sesshoumaru's anxiety and sat up with a low rumble.

After Jaken and Rin had eaten, Sesshoumaru slipped down from his branch once again. They packed up camp quickly, mounted up on Ah-Uh and waited on the path for Sesshoumaru to take the lead. Jaken seemed to notice that something was bothering his Lord, but he didn't dare say anything. After his mistake of letting Rin get kidnapped by Kagura two weeks ago, he wouldn't _dare_ speak out to his master unless he was spoken to first.

Sesshoumaru moved to the front of the group and kept walking, Ah-Un following him closely. They walked down into the valley, with Rin chattering at Jaken animatedly, pointing out each individual flower that was still in bloom. Sesshoumaru had decided to encourage Rin's chattering to Jaken, and that had seemed like punishment enough, especially when she had woven the imp a crown of flowers. Sesshoumaru had actually almost laughed at that, seeing the bug-eyed imp with the crown of tiny white flowers, staring up at him and almost blushing. That had been an amusing day.

A soft breeze rolled through the valley and Sesshoumaru slowed his pace, his eyes widening unnoticeably. Looking to the south-east, he saw a small herb-farm with rows upon rows of neatly spaced herbs. A half-demon was tending to the garden while an elderly woman sat in an odd contraption and watched him quietly. The scent of that flower from his dream was drifting towards him from that farm.

"Jaken, Rin, stay here." Sesshoumaru left them in the basin of the valley and walked up toward the farm, the scent of the flower growing stronger. He ignored the frightened look he recieved from the hanyou and the distrustful look he got from the old woman, instead walking straight towards a blood red star-shaped flower and staring at it intently. So this was the flower from his dream. What an odd little flower.

"I'm sorry, sir but those herbs are for personal use." The old woman rolled the contraption nearer to him, showing no fear as she looked up at him.

"Hn. What are they called?" Sesshoumaru asked, not turning to look away from the flowers. They hummed with a soft, comforting energy that seemed so familiar to him, almost drawing him close.

"Samsara Kusabana. The Reincarnation flower." The woman answered, her tone softening. Sesshoumaru glanced over his shoulder and found the woman looking at the flowers as though she were looking at an old friend, a soft smile gracing her lips. "These flowers were given to me by a woman who had sat by my bedside for four days, tending to me after I broke my leg. She saved my life."

"Mother.. I don't think we should be telling him about Midori-sama.." The half-demon trembled, looking nervous as he knelt down and whispered into his mother's ear. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened slightly.

"May I take one of the flowers with me? I travel with a small child, and she would be delighted by one of these." Sesshoumaru said, gently lifting one of the blossoms from it's stem. The petals were as soft as silk and glossy in the sunlight, the blood-red color almost startling. The scent once again reached his nose and it tried to seduce him into plucking a flower and holding it to his nose. "Such a captivating scent.."

"I'm sure one blossom won't hurt, although I have to admit I'm envious of you, demon-lord." The old woman sighed wistfully as Sesshoumaru plucked a single flower carefully and turned to look at her, an eyebrow quirked. "Only those with demon blood can smell those flowers."

"Strange." Sesshoumaru said, and then he turned without another word and walked back to the basin of the valley where his wards were waiting for him. He twirled the strange flower in between his fingers for a moment, deep in thought. Had he heard that half-demon correctly? Had Midori been the one to give these flowers to the old woman? The likelihood was remote, but still.. It was uncanny.

"Come." Sesshoumaru said coolly as he reached his wards, not stopping for them to catch up. Sesshoumaru began walking south once again, stowing the blossom in his sash for safekeeping. He wasn't really sure what had made him keep the flower, or what was driving him to change his course, but it felt as though something or someone was leading him, pulling him in a certain direction.

He would allow this entity to lead him for now, purely to sate his own curiousity. Hopefully he would find out that he was wrong and Midori would be forever banished from his mind.

* * *

><p>"I still don't see why we had to come straight back here." Inuyasha grumbled, walking down the dirt road through the village with Kagome and Midori beside him. It was an unseasonably cool day and clouds had been covering the sky for the last three days. Midori had insisted that they come back to Kaede's village, and she had been so adamant that she had let her friends ride on her back most of the way.<p>

"Well, first, Naraku ruined my last good kimono and you know how Miroku would act if I wore my cheongsam for long, so I need new clothes. Second, it's autumn now, and with autumn comes rain. We still haven't gotten tents and umbrellas.." Midori sighed, listing through everything untill she just got tired of it. She looked exhausted as she walked, thinking of all the things she had to do while they were here. "Nevermind, lets just go see off Kagome."

"You're not coming with me this time?" Kagome asked, looking over her shoulder at Midori.

"No, not this time. It seems like every time I go back to the modern era, some unnatural disaster occurs and I worry for you and your family." Midori stretched her arms towards the sky and knit her fingers behind her head while she walked at a relaxed pace.

"I guess I can understand. Just stay safe here for a few days, alright?" Kagome said as they reached the Bone Eaters' well. She hopped up onto the edge and looked back. "I'll be back in a few days, so take care of yourselves."

"Don't worry, Kagome. I'll watch over Inuyasha when he gets back..." Midori grinned mysteriously.

"When I get back..?" Inuyasha blinked, not noticing Midori sneaking up behind him.

"Whoops-!" Midori feigned innocence as she shoved Inuyasha into the well passed Kagome, smiling sweetly as she leaned down to watch Inuyasha be enveloped by blue light. "I guess he must have fallen in. Well, go have fun! Bye Kagome!"

And with that, Midori turned and jogged back to the village, waving over her shoulder untill Kagome's scent disappeared into the well. Inuyasha was going to be so pissed when he got back, but at least Nodoka had someone else to feed now. Kagome's mother always looked so happy when she had guests.

Midori sighed softly, turning away from the village and walking into the forest nearby, enjoying the cool, moist air against her skin. The trees had started changing colors, beginning their prismatic promenade. She could smell the woodsmoke and the scent of tea coming from the village and she smiled slightly. She could hear the men and women of the village in the ricefields, chanting their harvest song while they worked.

She walked out of the forest and into the clearing where she and Inuyasha usually sparred and looked around quietly. This place was still a mess, ground torn up, trees sliced in half, even the boulders were destroyed. Midori sighed, walking to the center of the clearing, wishing there were something she could do to fix the damage she caused.

"Well, I may not have the strength to regrow the trees, but some grass might help." Midori thought to herself and knelt down, placing her palms in the soil.

A gentle breeze swept through the clearing as Midori let her energy flow out of her palms and into the soil. Soon, a thick carpet of grass and small autumn flowers grew around her and reached out to cover the cool, barren soil. Midori sat back and smiled, feeling a slight ache but ignoring it. Then she got an idea. If she could cause plants to grow by filtering her energy through them, then couldn't she also cause them to die by taking their energy from them?

Midori thought about this for a moment, mulling it over while she plucked a small flower from the grass, twirling it between her fingers. Then, resigning herself, she held the blossom in one hand and watched it as she tried to remember the pull she had felt when her friends had offered her their energy. She watched as the small flower wilted in her hands, the energy returning to her body as the wilted flower dried up and crumbled in her fingers. Her eyes widened in shock. She'd had this ability all along?

She jumped to her feet with renewed vigor, curiousity getting the better of her as she grabbed the silk pouch from her sash, dumping a seed into her hand. Midori popped the seed below the soil and poured her energy through it untill she was about to pass out from energy exhaustion, ignoring the sudden pain screaming through her veins. She waited a moment to catch her breath, looking up at the huge flower stalk that towered over her, at least ten times her size, before she placed her palm on the tree-like stalk and drew the energy back into herself. The stalk creaked and crackled, crumbling into a fine dust beneath her hand as both the plant's natural energy and Midori's energy returned almost instantly.

Midori stood in the clearing, staring down at her hands with wide eyes. It felt as if a new door had opened for her, revealing things about herself that Midori had never dreamed possible. Midori quickly crossed the clearing and placed her hand on a broken boulder, drawing the energy from it. It too crumbled into a fine dust, and Midori could feel it's energy humming within her. By this time, the shock had worn off and she was laughing, running around and touching things to see the range of her newfound ability. Trees, rocks, grass, flowers, it didn't matter. Everything had energy to some extent, and she was able to siphon it off and collect it as her own!

She stopped, looking down at her feet. She felt the soil beneath her and blinked for a moment, a new idea tickling at the back of her mind. It might be dangerous, but.. Something within her told her to try. Kneeling down, Midori placed her palm on the soil and drew the energy in. The energy flowed into her like a flood, taking her by surprise and causing her to pull her hand away in shock. She looked around and saw that everything in a certain radius nearby had withered and crumbled to dust and she gasped.

Midori quickly replaced all of the grass and flowers she'd destroyed and ran towards the village, eager to show her friends her new ability. She was like a child with a new toy, and even she didn't know what it was capable of. She reminded herself not to get too wrapped up in it, because an ability like this could be dangerous if used wrong. She didn't want to hurt anyone, but this ability could be used as a secret weapon against Naraku, and she wanted to know the range of her abilities before returning to battle.

* * *

><p>Midori burst through the doorway of Kaede's hut, breathless and flustered, startling everyone inside. Sango, Miroku and Shippo were sitting on one side of the fire, while Kotone and Takao were sitting on the other. Kaede was sitting behind the fire in between them, and all of them were looking up at her in surprise. Midori caught her breath as she walked into the hut, her eyes almost glittering with life.<p>

"Guys! You _have_ to see something!" Midori panted, dropping to her knees by the fire and holding up a seed in her hand. "I just now realized I could do this!"

"A seed? Midori-chan..?" Sango blinked, staring at the seed in Midori's palm in confusion.

"Can you grow a new herb? A poison perhaps?" Miroku asked, eyeing the seed with a critical expression.

Midori just ignored them and quickly grew the seed into a plant three times it's normal volume in the space of a second, shocking everyone into silence. After a second, she drew the energy back and the plant crumbled into a fine grey dust as it fell into the hearth, mixing with the ash from the fire.

"What..?" Sango breathed, her eyes wide.

"You.. took the energy..?" Miroku asked, his usually calm and studious composure disturbed by surprise.

"Yeah! I was at the training grounds in the forest and I wanted to grow more grass in the field to make it look better." Midori explained breathlessly, wiping the dust from her palm. "I thought about it for a second and realized I could _take_ energy as well as _give_ it. I'm a rechargable battery!"

"Well, I don't know what a "battery" is, but.." Kaede began, her wizened face looking stern in the firelight. "You have to be very careful with that ability, Midori."

"I know I do.. I just thought I should tell everyone the news.." Midori said, her own expression relaxing and darkening somewhat. "If I can master this ability, then I may be able to use it against Naraku.."

The conversation continued quietly, mostly pertaining to Naraku and how best to destroy him, but also Midori's newest ability was a topic of interest. Midori relaxed slightly, joining in on the conversation every so often but for most of an hour, she was silent, thinking over the best uses of this.. _whatever_ it was. In order to use it at all, she would have to get close, close enough to use hand-to-hand combat. Midori mulled over a mental list of things she could use as distractions and tactics and soon her mind was swimming with battle plans. Sighing, Midori dropped her head into her hands exhaustively, closing her eyes.

"Oh, Midori-chan.." Sango began, looking over at the weary kitsune daiyoukai. "Some of the villagers wanted to thank you, so they brought you gifts."

"Thank me for what?" Midori groaned, looking up. Her eyes went wide, looking behind Kaede. She hadn't noticed it before, but the small hut was almost filled to the brim with vegetables, autumn fruits, rice, sake and other goods. "What the hell? Are they worshipping me now?"

"It would seem so." Kaede chuckled, picking up a piece of fruit and looking it over. "It would seem little Suko mentioned that her scars had been healed by your herbs, and since then everyone in the village has asked me for some."

"Of course.. It would only be natural.." Midori dropped her head in defeat, sighing weakly, and then she got an idea. Her eyes widened and a smile crept across her face. "I'll be right back! Don't touch that food!"

Midori jumped up and ran out of the hut before anyone could say another word, leaving everyone surprised.

* * *

><p>Midori had run around the village, talking with anyone she could find telling them to pass along a message to meet her on the main road in the village at sunset. After she had spoken with half the village, or so it felt, she ran off into the forest and collected all the firewood she could carry, hauling it back to Kaede's hut and piling it just outside the garden.<p>

After she had collected firewood, Midori had enlisted the help of Takao and Miroku to line the main road of the village with small, evenly spaced bonfires. Kotone, Kaede and Sango helped Midori haul the food-offerings outside while Takao and Miroku were setting up the fires, and all three women sat down to slice up the vegetables and put them in pots of water to boil. The sun was just beginning it's decent when the vegetables and rice were put over the fires, and Midori and Takao ran off into the forest to hunt, bringing back four large boars and two stags that they promptly cleaned, skinned, and hung over their own bonfires.

By now, the sun was setting and the villagers were beginning to filter onto the main road, looking at Midori and her group curiously as they sat back and admired their work. Bonfires were lit, evenly spaced down the main road of the village, and over them was a pot of rice, vegetables, or roasting meat. A few cleaned strips of wood sat nearby, propped up like a table, holding fruits, sake and Midori's flowers had been set up around them like a display, slowly fading from a vibrant red to a pure white as the sun set.

Midori stood in the center of the village with her hands on her hips and a huge smile on her face. She waited for the villagers to gather around, taking in the sight of all the food and drink while Kotone laid down a blanket nearby, setting down her koto and sitting in front of it.

"Hey everyone!" Midori grinned, beckoning them all over. "I've decided to hold a harvest festival for all of you! Everything has already been taken care of, so eat and drink to your heart's content!"

With that, Midori pulled her flute from her sash and held it up to her lips. She began to play a lively tune, and Kotone played along as Midori watched the villagers celebrate. Midori backed over to Kotone and they played together in perfect unison. After Sango had eaten, she even stopped by and began to sing for the villagers, almost sparkling in the flickering firelight. The atmosphere was charged with merriment and joy and some of the villagers even began dancing around the fires with renewed vigor, much to Midori's amusement. Midori watched them enjoy themselves with a smile, glad that she could bring so much happiness.

* * *

><p>Sesshoumaru followed his senses, following that familiar pull that had him walking south, his instincts telling him not to slow his pace. Jaken and Rin had fallen asleep on Ah-Un's back along the way, but Sesshoumaru continued walking long after the sun had set. The full moon rose overhead and lit his path and soon he came to the top of a familiar hill, looking down on a familiar valley. In the distance, he could see a small village, lit by bonfires and torches. They seemed to be celebrating something, the smell of different extravegant foods reaching his nose, as well as flowers. Midori's flowers.<p>

"Uncanny." Sesshoumaru grumbled as he walked forward, down into the valley and through the fields surrounding the village. Soon, the sound of a koto and a flute filled the air, as well as the cheers and merriment of the villagers. Rin and Jaken could hear the noise and woke up, rubbing their eyes before they looked around, finding the village a short time later.

"My lord? You intend to visit a human village?" Jaken squeaked, looking up at Sesshoumaru with wide eyes. It had been months since they had set foot in a human village, the last time was after Rin's village had been destroyed.

"There is something I wish to confirm." Sesshoumaru drawled as they came to a stop just outside the now picked-clean rice fields.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin whined, holding her stomache as she looked up at Sesshoumaru with a sleepy pout. "Rin's hungry.."

"Baka! Don't whine to Lord Sesshoumaru! You'll be fed when we stop for the night!" Jaken scolded, hardly stopping to take a breath as he spoke.

Sesshoumaru turned and looked down at Rin, who looked up at him with the most innocent pout he had ever seen a human face make and he stared for a few moments, Rin staring back. Jaken halted his scolding and looked between Rin and Sesshoumaru, wondering what would possibly happen to the poor girl, fear flickering in his beady eyes.

"Fine." Sesshoumaru caved. "Go into the village and get some food, Rin. Jaken, go with her and mind your manners."

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Jaken blinked, aghast. He had never been told to mind his manners when dealing with humans, and he had certainly never seen Sesshoumaru bend to the whim of a child, least of all a human child.

Sesshoumaru glared at the imp for daring to contradict him and Jaken cowered, bowing low and spluttering profuse apologies. Jaken and Rin were just about to walk towards the village when Sesshoumaru felt a gentle nuzzling against his abdomen and looked down to see Ah-Un nudging Sesshoumaru's sash with his nose, causing the blossom Sesshoumaru had been hiding to slip out and fall to the ground. Sesshoumaru bent to pick it up and froze with his hand hovering over the large flower. It had changed color! He was sure the flower had been a vibrant red when he had picked it only earlier that day, but now it was a pure white, almost glowing in the moonlight.

"Oohh!" Rin cooed, looking down at the flower with glittering eyes as Sesshoumaru picked it up. "It's so pretty!"

"Hn.. Strange. It was red this morning." Sesshoumaru looked down at the flower in his hand and then looked up at the moon when he remembered it's name, smirking to himself. "Samsara Kusabana.. The Reincarnation flower, huh?"

Sesshoumaru slipped the blossom back into his sash and began walking towards the village silently, Rin, Jaken and Ah-Un following behind him. They walked along down the dirt path between the fields, leading up to the village. Sesshoumaru kept to the shadows while Rin ran ahead, followed by a scolding Jaken. Ah-Un remained outside the village, trotting over to a nearby maple tree and sitting beneath it with a contented sigh, one head laying down to relax while the other kept a watchful eye on Rin and Jaken.

"Midori-chan! The villagers say they'd like you to play another song!" A woman's voice reached Sesshoumaru's ears and he looked into the village, through the crowds. His eyes widened when the sound of Midori's laughter rang out through the village like twinkling bells.

A flash of long, silky black curls danced into his field of vision and the sound of a flute rose above the villagers' merriment. A woman with a flute pressed to her lips was walking around the bonfires, her steps slow and determined as she played a joyful tune. The notes started out soft and slow, but grew in volume and tempo as she continued on, her face almost glowing with happiness as she played the lively tune, now dancing around a fire like a child.

When the song had ended, she slipped the flute into her sash with a smile, bowing as the villagers clapped and cheered. Midori turned and walked a small distance away from the bonfires and spoke with an elderly miko for a few moments before she walked away from the festivities, sneaking out of sight as she disappeared behind a hut.

Curious, Sesshoumaru followed, keeping his presence hidden as he stayed in the shadows. He walked over to the hut and his eyes widened slightly when the familiar scent of flowers flooded his senses, Midori's own natural scent of spring flowers and cloves mingled in. A gentle breeze filtered between the small huts as he turned a corner, stopping in his tracks when his eyes were met with a sight that almost stole his breath away.

* * *

><p>Midori had snuck away from the villagers, walking back behind Kaede's hut and into the small herb garden where her flowers grew. The villagers had talked her into using the flowers to make a tea during the festival, and now she was gathering more of the blossoms. She walked into the garden with a soft smile, taking in the sweet, crisp scent of the flowers as she bent down to gather them, filling a deep woven basket with the large white blossoms.<p>

The flowers seemed to glow in the moonlight as she picked them, humming in her hand with a gentle energy as she placed them in the basket. Midori stood upright and smiled softly as a cool autumn breeze swept her hair to the side, partially obscurring her vision. She reached up and brushed her hair away, annoyed with the sudden curl in her hair. At least while she was in the modern era, she could straighten her hair. Midori sighed slightly, her eyes softening as she knelt down, setting the basket down beside her.

"Time to replace the blossoms I took." Midori whispered to herself, placing both palms on the soil and filtering her energy into the earth. New flowerbuds grew immediately and bloomed, reaching towards the moonlight. Midori picked up her basket and brushed a lock of hair from her face, steadying herself as she stood.

"You grew these?" Sesshoumaru's voice reached Midori just as she was about to go back to the festival. Midori whirled around to see Sesshoumaru standing just outside the garden, his hand against the rough split-rail fence, his molten-gold gaze upon her.

"Eh..? Sesshoumaru?" Midori blinked, her eyes widening. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to confirm something." Sesshoumaru replied simply, walking around the fence and standing before her in the garden, surrounded by dozens of the white flowers. Midori's mind was reeling as she looked up at him, glittering in the moonlight. "So? Did you grow these flowers?"

"Uhm.. Yeah.." Midori nodded, tearing her eyes away from his breathtaking beauty and looking _anywhere_ else. She couldn't let herself be sucked in by him again. He was just too beautiful for her to think rationally, and she needed to be strong so her heart wouldn't ache when he eventually left her again. "They're the same herbs I've been using to train my youki control.. But when they're planted in the soil, they flower.."

"I see." Sesshoumaru said, still looking down at her. She was looking away from him, her expression flustered, a gentle blush gracing her cheeks as her jadefire eyes darted around for a distraction.

"Did I answer your question?" Midori asked, her gaze flickering to meet his for a moment before she looked away again. There was some emotion hidden in her gaze that Sesshoumaru couldn't understand and he was curious, but he didn't say anything about it.

"Yes, you did." He answered, and Midori seemed to almost deflate slightly.

"I'm glad I could help you." Midori said, her soft tone somewhat dull and lifeless. Midori turned and looked down at the path in front of her as she swept passed him, trying to keep her emotions in check. And then she felt his hand grip her wrist gently, stopping her.

"What's wrong?" Sesshoumaru asked, his voice softer than usual, taking Midori by surprise. She gasped, so softly that it was nearly inaudible, but he heard it.

"Sesshoumaru.." Midori lowered her head, still not looking at him. Her shoulders began to tremble slightly and the faintest scent of tears reached Sesshoumaru's nose. Her voice wavered as she spoke his name and it tore at Sesshoumaru's heart.

Before he knew what he was doing, he pulled her back to him. She dropped her basket as he wrapped his arms around her gently, trying to comfort her even though he didn't know what was wrong. He could feel her gentle gasp, her breath against his neck as she trembled in his arms. She whispered his name again as she slowly raised her arms up, and he unconciously held her tighter, a strange emotion welling up in his once-frozen heart when he heard her whisper his name in such a way.

But then, to his surprise, she pushed him away and turned quite suddenly. She took a few steps away from him, her whole body trembling as she bent down and hurriedly collected her fallen basket. When she stood, she looked over her shoulder slightly, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Sesshoumaru, if you want me then say so and get it over with." She wept, her voice small and trembling. "If you don't want me, then stop torturing me and stay away because seeing your face like this hurts me when I know I'm not allowed to love you."

Midori quickly wiped her tears away and walked from the garden, leaving Sesshoumaru alone in the moonlight. She had rejected him.. And his heart felt like it had been run through by a frozen blade. Was this how she felt when he had rejected her that night at the Midsummer Festival? Was this how she was feeling even though she smiled back at him and said she was fine? Sesshoumaru's mind faltered, ceasing all rational thoughts in the forceful wake of his emotions.

Just as he was about to go after her, just as he had taken a single step towards her, he froze. A new voice rose up over all others in his mind and it spoke forcefully, getting his attention. He couldn't go to her. He _shouldn't_ go to her. He was the mighty Lord of the West! He would not need a mate untill he had surpassed his father and defeated Naraku. Any sooner and they would prove to be a distraction and a liability! Sesshoumaru snarled at himself, turning away and flying off into the night, leaving behind the woman who had thrown his heart into turmoil.

* * *

><p>Midori choked back her tears quickly and walked out of the garden, back towards the festival. She left Sesshoumaru behind, allowing him to make his choice. He would know where to find her when he came up with the answer, and she wouldn't rush him. She walked back into the center of the village and dumped the basket of white flowers into a kettle of boiling water with a flourish and a smile before she turned and located Sango and Kotone.<p>

"Hey.. Sesshoumaru was here." Midori said quietly, so only they could hear. Kotone and Sango looked up, somewhat startled by her distant tone, but they nodded.

"We know." Sango said, pointing passed Midori at a faraway bonfire. "Rin-chan and Jaken are over there having something to eat. Kotone pointed them out about an hour ago."

"Do you want me to ask them to leave, Midori-sama?" Kotone asked, looking up at Midori.

"No, it's alright." Midori shook her head, making her way to the doorway of Kaede's hut. "Let them eat and leave on their own. Keep an eye on Rin so she doesn't get hurt."

"Hai, Midori-sama." Kotone nodded and turned back to her koto to play another song as Midori slipped into Kaede's hut, unnoticed by any of the villagers.

Midori walked into Kaede's hut and sat down in a corner with a sigh. She rubbed her eyes gently, once again pushing away the urge to cry. Instead, chuckles bubbled up within her and she laughed wryly, shaking her head with a sad smile. She had just come to the realization that another unnatural disaster had just occured. It would seem that her misery is linked with festivals in general, and she made a mental note to avoid festivals in the future.

Leaning back against the wall, she closed her eyes and let her mind drift aimlessly through her thoughts and memories. She could only vaguely hear the merriment outside the hut now, and she sighed. Sesshoumaru had held her in his arms, and he had whispered her name, he had stood there before her, surrounded by the Samsara blossoms and he had been almost glowing in the moonlight. He had taken her breath away and befuddled her mind in that one instant.

But she had fought the effects of her heart and told him clearly how she felt. She smiled slightly. It was a bittersweet smile, her eyes sad. She wondered what he was thinking right now, what he was feeling or if he had even felt anything at all. She remembered how coldly he had rejected her at the Midsummer Festival, and at the time she had considered that he may not have had any feelings at all. But she knew better, deep in her heart. She knew he wasn't unfeeling. He had emotions, he just hid them for some foolish reason.

"Midori-sama!" Kotone's voice barely registered through Midori's haze of bittersweet thoughts. "Midori-sama, the villagers would like to hear one last song before the festival ends."

"Alright. I'm coming." Midori replied as she stood, wiping a stray tear from her cheek and retrieving the flute from her sash.

Midori walked out of the hut and back into the center of the village. The villagers sat around the bonfires, looking sleepy and content as they watched her come to a stop between them. Some of the children had already fallen asleep, leaning up against their parents or each other. Midori smiled slightly as she brought the flute up to her lips and began to play.

It was the same song Midori had been playing when Sesshoumaru had found her by the stream in the mountains. Midori poured all of her emotions into each note, all of her love, her sadness, her grief, and lastly, her hope, wishing with each breath that her feelings would reach him, wherever he may be. Midori's eyes were closed, and she could feel the warm tears rolling down her cheeks freely as she played from her heart, disregarding everything else. In that moment, the only two beings in existence were her and Sesshoumaru, and she was reaching out to him, hoping he would understand.

* * *

><p>Sesshoumaru had been crashing through the nearby forest, hoping to get away from the all-too-painful reality that he had very nearly let his emotions get the better of him. He had almost fallen into the same rediculous trap that his father had fallen prey to. He cursed himself for his weakness, and he cursed Midori for being able to sway his frozen heart so easily. A low growl tore from his throat and he jumped again, landing near the top of a tall tree. He looked back down at the village, his golden eyes burning with the fury of his emotions when he stilled. A strange sensation washed over him, almost as though a hand had been placed on his shoulder to sooth him and calm his heart. And that's when he heard the song his mother had sung to him as a child. That same lullaby that Midori had been playing that day in the mountains, except this time it seemed different. Sesshoumaru's heart clenched and he winced, grabbing his chest when his heart began to ache, feeling that frightening pull, drawing him back to the village.<p>

The song flooded his senses, soft and gentle, yet somehow filled with emotion, battling each other for dominance just as Sesshoumaru's own heart had been. Pain, grief, sadness, longing, lust, love and.. Hope.. He could _hear_ the hope in the song. It was the strangest notion in the world, being able to hear an emotion in a song, but he could feel it deep inside of himself as if the emotion were his own. Sesshoumaru breathed in deep and steadied himself, releasing a shuddering sigh. He knew all too well who was playing that song, and if he went back to her now, he would forever have to live with that decision.

Could he live with himself if he allowed his heart to take control? Could he truely start anew and forget his ambitions of power for _her_? The image of Midori's face from his dream flickered before his eyes. Her soft, sleepy smile, her knowing eyes.. Even his hand began to tingle as he remembered the feel of her skin against his palm.

As if a delicate chain had been woven around his heart, Sesshoumaru slowly walked back towards the village.


	24. Brick By Boring Brick

As the skies darkened over Tokyo, the Higurashi family was sitting down to a pleasant meal, the smell of Nodoka's cooking wafting through the house. Nodoka was sitting at the table, serving tea to Inuyasha, Sota and Kagome's grandfather while Kagome was carrying a few trays from the kitchen into the den where they were about to eat.

"Ne, Kagome! When are you going to bring Midori-chan back?" Sota whined, pouting as if he'd missed seeing his favorite celebrity.

"Midori-chan couldn't come today. She had to stay in the Feudal Era to take care of some things with Kaede." Kagome sighed from the kitchen, stacking a few plates of food onto a tray.

"But..!" Sota whined, looking into the kitchen at his sister's back.

"Now now, Sota." Nodoka chimed, passing Sota a bowl of rice. "Your sister just got home, so let her relax. Besides, we have a guest today. Mind your manners."

"Hai.." Sota mumbled, fidgetting.

"Are you really that depressed because I came instead of Midori?" Inuyasha grumbled, looking at the child who used to idolize him.

Before Sota had a chance to answer, the sound of dishes dropping to the floor and shattering rang out through the house. Inuyasha flinched and looked up at Kagome, about to ask her what happened, but he froze when he saw her face. Her eyes were wide with horror and she was pale, her gaze locked on the television on the other side of the room.

"Midori-chan!" Kagome gasped and then she ran out the front door, slamming it behind her.

Inuyasha turned and looked at the television, wondering what had Kagome so scared when he saw a picture on the screen. It was a woman that looked startlingly like Midori, holding an infant in either arm, smiling as if she didn't have a care in the world. The words that scrolled over the screen didn't sink into Inuyasha's mind untill he heard Kagome's mother gasp.

"_The man responsible, calling himself the reincarnation of renowned spiritualist Abe no Seimei, has yet to be found. Police are still searching the streets of Kyoto for the culprit Miyamori Kyou, but so far they have had no luck._"

Inuyasha jumped up and ran out of the house, his mind reeling from the information. He slammed the door behind him and ran for the well shrine, jumping into the well after Kagome.

* * *

><p>Midori smiled, lowering the flute to wipe the tears from her eyes. The night was filled with silence and the villagers all looked up at her with expressions of awe. She had just finished playing the most moving piece she could ever recall, pouring her every emotion into the notes. Somewhere in her mind, she wondered if Sesshoumaru had been able to hear her feelings. The light from the bonfires flickered in the breeze, causing the shadows to dance around her, suddenly looking ominous as the full moon disappeared behind the clouds.<p>

"MIDORI-CHAN!" Kagome's scream caused Midori to gasp, whirling around to see the girl running down the hill towards the village at a break-neck speed.

"Kagome?" Midori blinked in surprise when she saw her friend, looking pale and scared, her knees scuffed and bloody like she had fallen while she was running. Inuyasha was running after Kagome, his own expression worried when he locked eyes with Midori. "Kagome-chan, what's wrong?"

"Kagome, wait! Not in front of the villagers!" Inuyasha bellowed, trying to catch up, but Kagome was already in front of Midori.

"Midori-chan! Your sister and your nieces! They were murdered!" Kagome gasped, grabbing Midori's shoulders. "Kyou.. They're saying Kyou did it.."

The color drained from the world as Midori went pale, her eyes widening in shock. No.. She must have heard Kagome wrong. Kagome couldn't be right. Anju couldn't be dead. Kyou couldn't have killed her. It wasn't true.. Midori's mind was swimming as she heard the villagers startled gasps and murmurs. All of the voices blurred together as Midori blinked once, her pale face colored by shock. Everything around her was black and white and Midori's insides went numb suddenly as she gasped.

"Aneue...?" Midori trembled, her lips curling into a disbelieving smile as she weakly shook her head. "There's no way Kyou could have.. No.. There's no way!"

"Midori-chan!" Kagome sounded worried, her eyes showing the truth behind her words. "It's true!"

"Dammit, Kagome!" Inuyasha was shouting, but Midori couldn't understand. It was like everyone was suddenly speaking a different language. This was too much.

Sesshoumaru had made it back to the village just in time to see Kagome running down the hill. He had heard her shouting to Midori, had heard her words, and he had seen Midori's reaction. She had gone pale, and her eyes had gone wide. She hardly looked like the girl Sesshoumaru had just seen moments ago. Inuyasha and Kagome were shouting at one another, and the villagers were leaving, going back to their homes. Midori's friends were slowly surrounding her, but Midori just stood there, stock still, her eyes distant. She looked like someone who had just lost everything.

"What are you doing?" Sesshoumaru's voice carried over the din. Midori gasped and looked up to find him looking down at her. Inuyasha, Kagome and the others stopped shouting and were staring at Sesshoumaru in surprise as he just stood there, looking down at Midori.

"S-sesshou..maru..?" Midori blinked, her body starting to tremble as tears began to blur her vision. The only color she could see in this black and white world were his eyes looking down at her. His molten-gold stare.

"I said, what are you doing?" Sesshoumaru repeated slowly, his face expressionless as he placed a hand on her shoulder. Midori looked up at him in confusion, not being able to process his words as a single tear rolled down her cheek. Her entire body was trembling by the time Sesshoumaru's words reached her. "If you're going to cry, then cry."

Sesshoumaru's words hung on the air for a few seconds, Inuyasha and the others staring at the scene in silence, unable to believe what they were seeing. Sesshoumaru was actually trying to _comfort_ Midori. Midori's hand raised up slightly, as if she were reaching for Sesshoumaru. Her mouth moved as if she were speaking, but no words came out. Tears were now rolling freely down her cheeks and she shuddered. In the blink of an eye, Sesshoumaru pulled Midori into a tight embrace and a few seconds later a heart-rending cry pierced the silence of the night like a blade.

Sesshoumaru didn't say another word, instead he swept Midori up into his arms and began leaving the village. Inuyasha was about to protest when Kaede stopped him, shaking her head and following behind Sesshoumaru silently. Inuyasha and the others followed Sesshoumaru away from the village and into the forest where they would not be heard by the villagers, Midori's mournful sobs muffled as she cried against Sesshoumaru's chest.

Once they were far enough away, Sesshoumaru came to a stop and sat down at the base of a tree, still cradling Midori in his arms. Under Kagome's direction, Takao and Kotone started a fire, Miroku and Sango went and gathered water and Kaede and Kagome gathered herbs for a soothing tea. Inuyasha sat nearby, keeping watch over his older brother while Shippo, wiping his own tears from his eyes, carefully crawled up into Midori's lap, hugging her close while she cried. To everyone's surprise, Sesshoumaru seemed to allow the little fox kit to do as he pleased, and a few minutes later Jaken, Rin and Ah-Un appeared from the forest, setting up their own campfire a short distance away.

Once everyone had completed their tasks, they sat around the fire in silence. Midori's painful sobs had subsided and she had fallen asleep in Sesshoumaru's arms, her hands still gripping the front of his haori loosely. Kagome pulled her handkerchief from her pocket and held it out to Sesshoumaru with a sad smile as she looked down at Midori. Sesshoumaru nodded once and accepted it, using it to carefully wipe away Midori's drying tears.

"Tell me what happened." Sesshoumaru spoke finally, his voice soft as not to wake Midori. Everyone seemed mildly surprised by Sesshoumaru's sudden compassion, but Kagome decided to just go with it, suspecting that the daiyoukai's heart may have changed.

"Anju, Midori's human sister, was murdered a few days ago along with her twin daughters. Kyou, that monk Midori shouted at before we went to the fox village, seems to be the one who did it." Kagome explained quietly, sitting down by the fire as she tended to the tea.

"They said that guy's calling himself the reincarnation of Abe no Seimei.." Inuyasha grumbled, staring into the fire, his eyes glittering with frustration. "They said the "police" or whatever couldn't find him even though they've searched all over Kyoto.."

"You don't think he could have gone through the shrine, do you?" Sango asked, a flicker of worry in her eyes as she looked at Midori's still-trembling form.

"It's entirely possible." Miroku sighed, folding his arms over his chest.

"But it wouldn't make sense if that guy Kyou was Abe no Seimei's reincarnation. Kyou was born before Midori shattered the magatama necklace and freed the souls that were trapped inside it." Kagome said, frowning as she sat back and stared at the fire.

"It is possible that the soul of Abe no Seimei found it's way to that young man, Kyou, after Midori broke the pendant." Kaede interjected, her weathered face looking deadly serious as the firelight cast shadows around the dark forest. "He could have been possessed by the soul."

"Is there anyway to know for sure?" Kagome asked, looking over at Kaede.

"I'm afraid I don't know. Souls as powerful as Abe no Seimei are difficult to exorcise as they burrow deep into the body of the possessed, merging with the host's soul like a parasite. Weaker souls may be affected by purification items like ofuda and the sort, but it's very likely that something like that won't work against him, as he was an Onmyouji in life." Kaede explained, her voice monotone and distant.

"What _would_ work?" Inuyasha asked, his eyes hardening as he looked at Kaede.

"You would have to kill the host, so both souls are released." Kaede answered, "Though this is all speculation. We do not know for sure if Kyou is possessed or not."

"What I don't understand is why Kyou would kill Anju and two helpless infants.. " Kagome sighed, dropping her head into her hands. "Even if he was possessed by Seimei's soul, what purpose would that serve?"

"It could be any number of reasons, I'm afraid." Miroku said, his expression grim. "Kyou could have been avenging Midori's abuse, or Seimei may have disliked the way his descendants were running the clan.. Though that still wouldn't account for the children.."

"He may have been attempting to regain control of his clan." Sesshoumaru spoke finally, entering the conversation. All eyes turned to him, surprised that he would speak his thoughts. "If that were the case, he would view children as a potential threat, especially if they had significant spiritual abilities."

"Hn. I was just thinking the same." Kaede agreed with a careful nod.

The conversation gradually died down and the group sat around the fire in silence, falling asleep in the forest that night. Sesshoumaru never once tried to move Midori away from him, even going so far as to growl at Jaken for even suggesting such a thing. Midori slept in Sesshoumaru's arms untill the early hours of the morning as the sun was just barely skimming the horizon.

* * *

><p>When Midori opened her eyes, she felt like she was taking a breath for the first time. Her lungs burned, but for some reason the rest of her body felt cold. Everything was strangely quiet around her, like all sounds were muffled by a wall of cotton. Midori looked up and saw that Sesshoumaru was still cradling her to his chest even though he was asleep. Or at least he looked like he was asleep. Midori closed her eyes again and tried moving her fingers and toes, feeling her joints stiffen and lock in place painfully. She bit her lip and forced herself to stay silent, gradually working with her body to move again. Slowly, she tested every joint untill she was satisfied before she eventually sat up, trying not to wake Sesshoumaru, if he really was asleep. He wasn't.<p>

"Good morning." Sesshoumaru's smooth voice greeted her through the silence and Midori felt his strong arms wrap around her waist, pulling her back down into his lap. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm not.. feeling.." Midori said simply, her voice rough and hoarse. She wet her parched lips and sighed slightly, brushing a lock of hair from her face. "It's too dangerous for me to feel right now. I might start crying again, or I might hurt someone.."

"I'll have to be patient then." Sesshoumaru said, sounding a little distant. Midori quirked an eyebrow and turned to look at him. He was looking at her from the corner of his eye, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

"Are you feelin' sick or somethin'?" Midori asked, pressing a hand to his forehead to check for a fever. Sesshoumaru seemed a little startled by the action, but he didn't pull away like Midori was expecting. This whole situation was weird. Being comforted by him, held by him, waking up in his arms.. Midori narrowed her eyes at him slightly. "You're acting really strangely."

"No, demons don't get sick." Sesshoumaru drawled, glancing the sleeping forms around the campfires as if he were making sure they were asleep. Once he was sure, he continued, his voice softer. "I've just come to realize something."

"And what's that?" Midori was actually curious now, and he must have seen that but he shook his head.

"It can wait." Sesshoumaru said simply, hugging Midori close once again, his touch almost tender. "I'll tell you when you're feeling better."

"Uh..huh.." Midori raised an eyebrow, slightly suspicious but she didn't say anything to that effect, instead choosing to accept it. They sat in silence for a while as a thin curtain of early morning mist hung in the air, muting the sounds around them, fading the world's color and obscuring their vision. Midori could hear Sesshoumaru's steady heartbeat thudding in time with her own and she closed her eyes to listen, vaguely thinking it was odd for two hearts to be so in sync.

"May I ask something?" Sesshoumaru's voice startled her from her thoughts and she blinked for a second.

"Sure.." Midori said, pulling her head back into reality. "Fire away."

"Why did you cry when you learned about your human sister?" Sesshoumaru asked, looking at Midori from the corner of his eye again as if he were studying her.

"It's pretty stupid, isn't it?" Midori chuckled wryly, her lips curling into a cynical smirk. "I was abused and neglected by my sister for my entire life and yet I still love her so much that I can't bring myself to hate her. I'd like to be able to say that she was just looking out for me or she had my best interests at heart, but.. That would be a lie."

"I don't understand." Sesshoumaru said with a slight sigh. Midori smirked up at him and shook her head.

"Haven't you ever loved someone so much you couldn't bring yourself to hate them?" Midori asked, her tone judicious as though she already knew the answer.

"No." Sesshoumaru said simply, although he was a little bewildered. Did she know something about him that he hadn't told her? Knowing Inuyasha and his meddlesome friends, probably.

"Hn." Midori looked up at him from the corner of her eye, smirking slightly as if she didn't believe him.

The silence surrounded them once again and Midori let her mind drift aimlessly. The crisp autumn air was still, feeling heavy from the cool moisture of the mist. The heat from the rising sun did nothing to burn away the thick white sheets of fog that enveloped the world and for once Midori enjoyed the thought of being hidden away like this, like nothing in the world could touch her, not even reality. She smiled, more to herself than anything, enjoying this brief moment of silence before the waking world found her.

"I must admit that I'm enjoying this dream." Midori sighed, her voice sounding slightly amused as she stretched.

"This isn't a dream." Sesshoumaru said, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. Had she become disturbed because of her grief? That seemed unlikely. Perhaps she had ment it as a metaphor?

"Oh, but it is." Midori corrected matter-of-factly. "Think about it. I'm sitting in the arms of the man I love and I feel safe for the first time in my life, hidden away in my own little bubble where reality can't find me through this fog. There's no rational explaination for any of this, therefore this is a dream."

Midori ended her explanation with a short nod, as if she were trying to believe her own words and Sesshoumaru chuckled softly. He realized now that she was attempting to delude herself for a while so she could understand and cope. She was certainly a strange woman, _that_ he was sure of. He closed his eyes and felt her slight form against his, nestled in his lap with her head on his shoulder. He felt her shiver slightly and he pulled his pelt from his shoulder, wrapping it around the two of them for warmth.

"Very well." Sesshoumaru said finally. "Then untill the others wake, this shall be a dream."

"In that case.." Midori smiled faintly, bringing her hand to Sesshoumaru's cheek and turning his head towards her, "I'll make it a pleasant one."

Much to Sesshoumaru's surprise, Midori pressed her lips against his. Her delicate hand felt cool and smooth against his cheek, gently stroking his cheekbone with her thumb. For a few seconds, Sesshoumaru tensed in surprise but he relaxed, enjoying her scent and soft lips against his. When Midori pulled from the kiss, she smiled up at him, her jadefire eyes glittering as she looked into his molten-gold gaze.

"W-w-what the hell?"

Midori turned to see Inuyasha standing by the dying embers of the campfire with an armfull of wood, his eyes wide as he gaped at her and Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha dropped the firewood quite suddenly and they cracked together loudly as the fell, causing the sleepers to wake.

"Too much noise! " Kagome growled, opening one eye to glare at Inuyasha for waking her. "You better not have woken Midori..!"

"But Midori's awake! Look!" Inuyasha cried stupidly, flailing wildly as he pointed at Midori, trying to stress his point.

"Inuyasha.." Kagome mumbled as she rolled over in her sleeping bag, bringing the fabric higher around her, trying to go back to sleep. "Sit."

"But-! GACK!" Inuyasha crashed to the ground and Midori took this opportunity to snuggle back into Sesshoumaru's lap properly, resting her head against his shoulder while Sesshoumaru just chuckled at his little brother. Inuyasha growled and tried to force himself up, settling for rolling onto his back. "Midori.. was.. just kissing.. Sesshoumaru!"

"WHAT?" Kagome woke up with a start, sitting straight up as she looked at Midori with wide eyes. Sango and Kotone sat up, rubbing their eyes sleepily as they wondered what just happened. Miroku just rolled over and went back to sleep while Takao was already sitting up, his arms folded across his chest as he silently glared at Sesshoumaru. Even Jaken and Rin stirred from their sleep upon hearing Kagome's startled cry.

"Oh well.." Midori sighed, folding her arms over her chest with a look of mild disinterest. "I'd better get started on breakfast. Today is going to be a long day..."

* * *

><p>Midori had gone about making breakfast without so much as a word of confirmation or denial for her friends, much to their frustration. Once they had eaten, the girls had gone to bathe, leaving the boys to clean up the campsite. Sesshoumaru had promptly disappeared, finding a nice cozy spot at the base of a tree near the river, just to stand guard. He could sense Takao and Inuyasha nearby, probably keeping an eye on him, but he wasn't bothered by it. After the girls had finished bathing, they went their seperate ways. Midori had hauled Kagome over to the training grounds in the forest, and by extension Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, Kotone and Takao had followed them.<p>

"But, Midori-chan.." Kagome blinked, surprised. They were standing in the middle of the foggy clearing, Midori and Kagome facing each other. "I don't think I can do that..."

"Baka. Of course you can. Even I can.." Midori sighed and then brought her hangs up to chest-level and concentrated. Soon, a pale green dome formed around them, encompassing the entire clearing. There was no fog inside the barrier, instead it had pushed the fog outwards, now lining the barrier outside to help conceal it. "See? It's easy."

"How did you do that?" Kagome's jaw dropped, looking around at the huge barrier.

"I grew up on a shrine, remember?" Midori sighed and shook her head, sounding exasperated and muttering to herself as she walked a short distance away. "Just practice what I showed you. You won't get dinner if you haven't made at least one steady barrier by then."

"Eh?" Kagome whined, but Midori was already waving as she walked to the other side of the barrier. "Wait, is Midori going to train too?"

"Seems like." Inuyasha said, watching her closely. "She seems different somehow, though. Normally, she would have drawn her sword by now.."

Takao and Kotone looked at each other with uneasy expressions before they looked back to Midori, staying silent. Inuyasha and Kagome would find out soon enough if their suspicions were correct. Midori pulled her little silk pouch from her sash and dropped a pair of seeds into her hand. Bending down, she popped them into the soil on either side of her and placed her palms on the soil. Taking a deep breath, Midori forced all of her energy into the soil as she exhaled and the two seeds exploded from the ground, growing into two huge flowering trees that towered over everyone and just barely brushed the top of the barrier.

Midori gasped, dropping to one knee to steady herself. Takao and Kotone took a step forward but Midori immediately held a hand up to stop them. Sesshoumaru watched as Midori pulled herself up, her legs shaking slightly from exhaustion, but her jaw was set and she had a look of grim determination in her eyes. She wouldn't accept help or back down and Sesshoumaru knew this, because he had worn that exact expression during his years of training. Midori stood between the two flowering trees and placed her palms on either tree trunk, her fingers nestling into the delicate bark slightly, almost looking like they had disappeared into the trees and she was connected to them.

Sesshoumaru saw Midori close her eyes and then everything was still. For a moment, he thought she had fainted but then something strange happened. The red blossoms on the trees began to slowly wilt, and some of the leaves began to brown and crackle into dust before they and the flowers came back to life. Had that been his imagination? Sesshoumaru watched closer, listening to his senses. He could hear Midori breathing and he noticed that each time she inhaled, the trees would die a little and every time she exhaled, they would be healed! Midori was pushing and pulling the energy of the trees in time with her breathing, drawing a little more each time untill the trees had withered and crumbled to dust, leaving nothing but a pair of disintegrating stumps in the ground.

"I see.. So not only can she grow plants, but she can destroy them as well." Sesshoumaru said at last, his tone quiet and calculating.

"I had no idea.." Kagome breathed, her eyes wide as she watched Midori. She had stopped trying to form barriers, Inuyasha looking like he'd almost jumped out of his skin, when those two trees suddenly appeared.

"She showed us yesterday, before the harvest festival." Kotone spoke up. She and Takao were now sitting in the grass, watching Midori with nervous expressions. They were obviously worried. "She had just discovered that she could take a plant's energy for her own.."

"It's not limited to only plants. I can siphon energy from other things as well." Midori said, planting two more seeds in the soil and wincing when she grew them into trees like the last two seeds. Sesshoumaru watched her step between the two new trees shakily, placing her palms on the bark like last time. So this is the kind of training she puts herself through? To be caught in a contant loop, exhausting herself to the point of fainting only to heal herself and start the process over again? He had to admit, he held a new respect for this girl..

"Why are you training yourself so hard?" Sesshoumaru asked, mildly curious. He watched the scarlet star-shaped blossoms on the trees wither almost instantly, as if Midori had recoiled.

"I have to get stronger." Midori said, a growl hidden beneath her voice. Her eyes were glinting dangerously in the dim light, and Sesshoumaru could see the fire in her eyes return. She looked beautiful and terrifying all at once, her long black hair hung down her back, her wispy bangs partially covering her eyes, eyes that now burned with the force of her resolve. Her fingers gripped the bark of the trees and Sesshoumaru looked up to see them moving, limbs bending and creaking as she pulled and pushed her energy, almost as if they were _breathing_ right along with her. "I'm going to kill Naraku the next time I see him."

"Midori-chan!" Kagome cheered and Midori's concentration snapped. The trees crumbled to ash suddenly, dousing Midori in a fine grey powder. Kagome had a perfect pink barrier around her and she had wanted to surprise Midori, but when she saw the powder-covered girl, she burst into laughter and the barrier fell.

"Guh... Dammit!" Midori groaned as she looked down at herself, half-heartedly trying to dust herself off to no avail. Her hair was completely white, as was her kimono, and no amount of dusting seemed to rid her of the powder. "And I just took a bath, too.."

Sesshoumaru just stood there in perfect silence, something welling up inside of him. He didn't know if it was Midori's expression, or if it was because she was suddenly covered in the fine grey powder, but he could feel the corners of his lips twitching upwards and a faint chuckle escaped. Midori paused, her eyes wide when her head jerked up to gape at him.

"Great!" Midori threw her arms up in the air in defeat, walking off towards the river, looking over her shoulder with a feigned glare. "Even the walking block of ice is laughing at me!"

"I'm so sorry, Midori-chan!" Kagome cried in between fits of laughter, holding her sides as she watched her friend go. Even Inuyasha and Kotone had joined in her laughter by now. "I'll make it up to you!"

"Yeah, yeah." Midori waved her off, slipping through the pale green barrier and disappearing into the forest. "Get back to practicing! I'll be right back."

* * *

><p>Midori had gone down to Kaede's hut and rifled through Kagome's bag to find the soap and shampoo. Much to her annoyance, Miroku, Sango and Shippo were there and as soon as Midori left, she could hear a chorus of laughter from inside the hut. She just groaned and quickly made her way to the waterfall just outside the village. It was a secluded place, surrounded by tall shade trees and curtained by the boughs of aged willows, each branch spaced perfectly as if somoene had put them there on purpose.<p>

With a faint sigh, Midori walked down to the river bank and stripped off her kimono quickly, stepping into the water with the dusty fabric in her arms. Bending down, she tossed the dark blue bundle of cloth into the river and rinsed it out as best she could before she found a suitable treebranch to hang it from to dry while she bathed. Collecting the soap and shampoo, Midori walked along the bank untill her feet came in contact with cold, wet stone, steeling herself as she stepped under the freezing cold waterfall. A shrill squeal echoed through the forest as the freezing water poured over Midori's body, soaking her completely.

Midori bit her lip and forced herself into silence as she hurriedly opened both bottles and dumped their contents into her hand. She quickly washed her hair and lathered up her body, jumping back under the waterfall to rinse off. The smell of the strawberry soap filled the air and Midori almost sneezed, but once Midori had rinsed completely, it wasn't as strong. Midori stepped out of the waterfall happily and tugged her hair over her shoulder, wringing it out on the bank as she walked back to her belongings.

Holding up a lock of her wet hair, Midori sighed to herself. She'd never liked the too-sweet, artificial scent of strawberry soaps and she had grimaced when Kagome had shown her the bottle when she first brought it from the modern era, but Midori had forced herself to use it. Beggers can't be choosers, and in the feudal era, it's a miracle to have these kinds of decent soaps around at all.

"Midori-sama?" Rin's voice pulled Midori from her thoughts and she looked up to see Rin and Jaken standing on the bank of the river. Jaken looked like he was about to faint when he realized Midori was naked.

"Oh, hey there Rin-chan." Midori smiled, sweeping passed the suddenly-bashful imp and picking up a towel she had left on a rock, wrapping it around herself casually. "Did you come down here to bathe too?"

"Yeah!" Rin smiled and nodded before she turned to look at the water apprehensively. "I don't know if I wanna get into the water if it's really cold, though.."

"Oh, you've got a good point." Midori mused, assuming the classic "deep in thought" pose for a moment before remembered something. "There's a hotspring nearby, though, just up the mountain. I didn't go up there because I was closer to the waterfall."

"Really?" Rin beamed, looking hopeful.

"Yeah, it's not far." Midori nodded and lifted her nose to the air, testing for the scent of sulphur. Behind the scent of the shampoo, the scent of sulphur rose to meet her senses and she pointed in the direction it was coming from. "That way, about a ten minute walk."

"Thank you, Midori-sama!" Rin chimed, rushing foreward and hugging Midori's leg before she grabbed Jaken and ran off towards the hotspring.

Midori chuckled and shook her head, watching the two figures dash into the forest. Rin must not get to enjoy hotsprings very often. Midori stood there for a moment, smiling as she looked into the treeline untill a cool breeze blew passed her and Midori shivered, realizing she was still soaking wet.

With a sigh, she walked over to her kimono and reached out to pull it off the branch when a rustling in the bushes caused her to freeze. A familiar scent reached her nose, but it was too late to pull back now. A hand shot out from the bushes and grabbed Midori's wrist and she felt herself being pulled into a tight embrace, her towel slipping off and landing on the riverbank.

"Kagome-chan!" Koga cried, hugging Midori close. Koga's eyes were closed and he had a stupid grin on his face, his cheeks tinged with pink before his eyes snapped open and he froze, his eyes slowly lowering to Midori's face. "eh?...Eh?...EH?"

Koga looked down and realized he was clinging to a very confused, very wet, very _naked_ Midori, who was looking up at him with a puzzled expression and a quirked brow. Koga quickly dropped Midori and jumped away, looking as if he'd been tricked as a blush raged on his cheeks.

"Midori? What the hell are you doing here?" Koga asked, trying to look anywhere but directly at Midori. "How come you didn't smell my jewel shards?"

"I was _bathing_, Koga." Midori answered dryly, picking up her towel and securing it around herself once again before she placed her hands on her hips. "The scent of this stupid soap blocks everything else out. Now why did you grab me like that?"

"I.. thought you.. were Kagome.." Koga mumbled, looking away from Midori pointedly, the blush on his cheeks flourishing across his entire face. Midori just sighed and shook her head, walking over to her belongings and dressing as quickly as possible.

Midori ignored Koga's mutterings as he sat down on the bank with his back to her, instead she tugged on her black cheongsam, quickly fastening the wooden buttons on the front before she bent down and slipped her feet into the matching silk slippers. Tugging her hair over her shoulder, she quickly pulled it into a long braid and tied it off with a red silk cord, letting it fall down her spine. Absent-mindedly, her fingers smoothed the mandarin collar of the dress, brushing against the embroidered spider that Akikumo had sewn in after the Obon Festival in August.

"Sorry for the delay, hentai spider demon." Midori said under her breath with a smirk. "You'll get to spy on me all you want now."

"Eh? What'd ya say?" Koga turned and froze, his eyes widening when he saw Midori. "Whoa... That dress.. It's from the Mainland, isn't it?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah." Midori nodded, remembering that in this era "mainland" meant China. She picked up a red silk sash and tied it around her waist, accenting the scarlet rising sun design on her shoulder. Midori slipped her sword into her sash and turned back to face Koga. "I bought it when I went back to.. my village."

Midori suddenly remembered that she hadn't told Koga that she was from the future, like Kagome, and she didn't think Kagome had mentioned anything to him so she stayed quiet about it. With a sigh, she folded her arms over her chest when she noticed he was still staring at her.

"You look..." Koga looked like he was about to faint, but Midori had stopped paying attention to him. Instead, she was paying attention to the new scent that was coming at the two of them. The scent of sandalwood was advancing on the riverbank, and it was moving fast.

Midori rushed up to Koga and shoved him to the ground just in time, as Sesshoumaru had just charged out of the forest, sword drawn and aimed at Koga. Midori's body acted on it's own, playing through a set of motions she had drilled into her mind. She laid her hand atop Sesshoumaru's, gently taking the sword from him as she spun away, lowering the sword to her side harmlessly. Koga looked completely stunned and even Sesshoumaru looked at her with mild surprise, Midori just stood there with Sesshoumaru's sword in her hand, ignoring the faint tingle it was giving off.

"Now now, Sesshoumaru. You don't have to kill him to avenge my honor. He only saw me naked for a few seconds." Midori sighed, taking on a chiding, though ultimately disinterested, tone. Curious, she looked down at the sword she'd taken from Sesshoumaru and her eyes lit up. "Oooh! Now _this_ is a sexy toy!"

"Midori, are you alright?" Sesshoumaru asked, his tone betraying the faintest traces of worry as he watched her swing his sword around, moving through a few of her stances as she tested it's weight and balance. She _looked_ fine, but she was holding Tokijin.. After a few seconds, Tokijin's blade lit up with a dim green glow and fox fire erupted along it's length, illuminating Midori's cheerful face. "Midori."

"Hm? Oh, sorry! I'm fine, I'm fine." Midori grinned, walking over and handing Sesshoumaru his sword easily, looking completely untroubled. Sesshoumaru sheathed the sword, somewhat perturbed by what he'd just witnessed. Tokijin's aura had not only been supressed by Midori, but the sword had accepted her as it's wielder, allowing her to channel her energy through it. "That's a really cool sword, though. I'd never had the chance to ask you about it, but I've admired it a few times."

"Ungh..." Koga groaned, slowly sitting up and rubbing his head where Midori had hit him. "Midori-chan.. why'd you.. Oh.."

Koga had just been about to ask why Midori pushed him down, but as he sat up, he saw Sesshoumaru standing above him, glaring down at him. Midori just sighed and dropped her head into her hands in exasperation, muttering something about posturing peacocks. Koga slowly got to his feet and stood beside Midori as if to protect her.

"Uhm.. Koga, don't misunderstand. You don't have to worry about Sesshoumaru." Midori looked up at Koga with a reassuring smile. "He isn't here to hurt me."

"How can you be so sure?" Koga looked at Sesshoumaru warily, placing a hand on Midori's shoulder.

"Because I was here to hurt _you_, wolf." Sesshoumaru answered simply, glaring daggers at Koga as he tensed slightly.

"Eh?" Midori looked up at Sesshoumaru, her eyes widening slightly. "Why would you hurt Koga, Sesshoumaru?"

"Koga was the one who allowed his wolves to attack Rin's village." Sesshoumaru said, drawing his sword and pointing it at Koga easily.

"The same village that used to beat Rin-chan all the time, simply because she was an orphan and couldn't fend for herself at seven years old?" Midori sighed, pushing Sesshoumaru's blade away from Koga, much to their surprise. "If that's the case, don't you think Rin-chan should have a say in what happens to him? You revived her, after all, and it _was_ her village."

"Midori-chan, what are you doing!" Koga asked incredulously, like he couldn't believe she was siding with Sesshoumaru.

"I have an idea that may solve the problem." Midori folded her arms over her chest and looked between both men as she stood on the riverbank, her expression cool and calm.

* * *

><p>Midori had gathered her things and grabbed Koga's arm, leading him up to the base of the mountain where the hotsprings were. Sesshoumaru followed silently, wondering what Midori was planning as they walked up the narrow dirt path, and then Rin's scent reached his nose and he had a vague idea. Midori and Koga came to a stop behind some bushes, where Jaken was leaning against the base of a tree, looking up at them curiously.<p>

"Rin-chan! Are you dressed yet?" Midori called out, her voice cheerful, despite Koga's struggling.

"Eh..? Midori-sama..? Oh, one second!" Rin's voice called from beyond the wall of foliage, accompanied by the sound of splashing water.

"Midori, what are you doing?" Koga growled, struggling against Midori's grip.

"Koga, you have a choice. You'll either face an eight year old human girl, or Sesshoumaru.." Midori jerked a thumb over her shoulder at Sesshoumaru, who looked like he wanted nothing more than to skin Koga alive.

"I'm dressed now, Midori-sama!" Rin chirped cheerfully and Midori's grip on Koga tightened as she dragged him forward.

Midori and Koga walked through the foliage to stand in front of Rin by the hotspring. Rin's eyes widened slightly when she saw Koga and she took a step back untill she saw Midori's reassuring smile. Koga looked uncomfortable, like he'd rather be anywhere but there.

"Now, Koga. Apologize to the little girl." Midori commanded, shooting a deathly glare at Koga.

"You want me to _what_?" Koga growled, rounding on Midori and startling Rin with his tone. Midori just sighed and rolled her eyes. "I'm the leader of the wolf demon tribe! There's no way I could _lower_ myself to apologize to a _human girl_!"

Sesshoumaru took a step forward through the foliage, growing low as he glared at Koga with intent to kill, but Midori wasn't about to let that happen. Midori brought her fist down atop Koga's head, knocking him to the ground. Sesshoumaru paused, watching her as she bent down and took Koga's wrist, bending it behind his back with a gentle twist, causing him to wince in pain.

"Now, Koga. Apologize to the little girl." Midori repeated with a sigh, her tone shifting from cheerful to downright dangerous as she leaned in close and mumbled into his ear. "Or should I go tell Kagome that you were spying on me while I was bathing, _onichan_?"

Koga went pale as Midori spoke into his ear and Sesshoumaru felt the corners of his mouth twitch upwards slightly. Koga looked visibly frightened by whatever Midori had said to him, and for good reason. The last thing the wolf demon wanted was for Kagome to get the wrong idea about him, so he stilled. Midori released the wolf demon's arm and let him sit up, kneeling beside him with a withering glare as he began to fidget nervously

"Gomen.." Koga muttered stubbornly, obviously not used to apologizing to anyone. Rin's eyes widened slightly as Koga's tail drooped somewhat, looking remarkably like a scolded puppy. "I didn't know that there were kids in that village.."

"Hai, and now you bow to show you're sincere.." Midori chirped cheerfully as she took Koga's neck and leaned him forward slightly. He didn't struggle this time, which mildly surprised Sesshoumaru, instead the wolf demon bowed low as Midori had basically commanded.

All was silent after Koga's apology. He had stilled, sitting on the ground with his eyes lowered as he waited for the child's response, his expression grim, like he'd just been completely defeated. The air was tense for a moment, Sesshoumaru standing just a few feet away in case he was needed, and Jaken was looking at the scene, wondering what was happening.

"You really mean it..?" Rin's small voice wavered slightly as she looked at the bowing Koga.

"Yeah.. I'm sorry." Koga mumbled without looking up, his tone sounding genuine and not coerced in any way.

"Well then.." Rin took a few steps forward with a shy smile and patted Koga's head gently, much to the surprise of all. "Apology accepted!"

"See? That wasn't too hard, was it?" Midori grinned, gloating as she released Koga's neck. Koga looked up at the little girl in front of him with astonished eyes, thoroughly dumbfounded that she had forgiven him. Midori noticed his expressed and smirked knowingly. "The mind of an eight year old girl is not complicated, Koga. A simple apology can sometimes work miracles."

Not long after, the group left the hotsprings and went back to the training grounds in the forest clearing. Midori's barrier was still up, and they all slipped inside easily. Kagome and Inuyasha had set up a campsite inside the barrier and Kagome was cooking a meal when she saw the group return. Soon, Miroku, Sango and Shippo showed up, followed by Kaede, and the group sat down together to eat, taking advantage of Midori's barrier to discuss their plans concerning Naraku.


	25. Fang

The sun shone down on the world, lighting a path through the autumn-colored forests and fields. Everything was tinted gold and a gentle breeze brought with it the scent of woodsmoke and harvests, wild herbs and fruits ripe for the season. In a quiet forest to the south, near Kaede's village, all was strangely quiet. No animals scurried about to gather their last meals before hibernation, and no birds fluttered through the trees. All was still.

A hurried rustling sound echoed through the forest, seeming painfully loud when all else was silent. The rustling drew closer and closer to the edge of the forest untill a blur of amber fur darted out of the trees and into a field just west of Kaede's village. It ran through the fields, leaving a barely noticable trail in the tall wheat, untill it left the field and came to a sudden stop on a hilltop overlooking the village.

A small fox looked down at the village, it's golden-amber fur gleaming in the sunlight as it's sky blue eyes quickly scanned the village. The fox jumped up and ran down the hill, finding the scent it was looking for as it ran towards the village. A small pendant hung around it's neck on a leather cord, bouncing against it's chest. It was a small silver circle with the Tamamo crest stamped into the silver, glinting in the light.

The little fox ran headlong into the village, searching for the scent of silk and paulownia wood. The villagers moved aside, looking at the fox with curious expressions, but to the fox's surprise they didn't try to shoo it away, instead letting the fox go about it's business. One of the elderly villagers even bowed to the fox and said "good morning", leaving the fox somewhat stunned.

"Are you looking for someone, little fox?" An elderly miko walked up to the fox, smiling kindly as she knelt down.

"I'm looking for my sister." The fox replied, it's voice childlike and innocent. The fox looked up to see that the miko didn't seem surprised that it could talk, nor did the villagers. "She was sent to protect the leader of our clan. Her name is Kotone.."

"Ah, Kotone-chan. Yes, she's here, little one." The old miko nodded and stood, pointing outside the village, up a hill and towards a forest. "She and the others are in a clearing in that forest. There is a barrier, but you'll be able to get inside if you mean no harm."

"Thank you!" The fox cried as it bolted towards the forest, a feeling of joy welling up in it's heart.

The fox left the village and ran up the hill, dashing into the forest as fast as it's little legs could carry it. It jumped over roots and fallen branches, rocks and brush, untill it came to a clearing and the fox stopped, looking up at the huge green glowing barrier. The old miko had said the fox could get through if it meant no harm, but still the fox was nervous. Carefully, the fox extended a paw to the barrier, looking away as if it expected pain, but when no pain came, the fox opened it's eyes and looked at it's paw to find it slipped through the barrier easily, the surface gently rippling like a pool of water.

The fox took a deep breath and slipped inside the barrier and quite suddenly the air felt charged with energy. The fox froze in place and looked around, feeling the fur on the back of it's neck stand on end, and it's eyes widened when it saw two figures in the center of the barrier, in the midst of what appeared to be a heated battle. Pale green flames swirled through the air, the soil in the clearing had huge gashes cut through it, and almost no grass grew here. The fox took a closer look at the two battling figures as it slowly backed up against the barrier, trembling slightly with each step.

A man was facing towards the fox, wearing a white kimono with a red chrysanthemum pattern on the long sleeves, and white sashinuki hakama. He was wearing mainland armor, polished silver metal and black hardened leather, and a fluffy white pelt tossed over his shoulder. Long white hair shone like moonlight, and beneath his hair, golden eyes looked cold and calculating, like he was analyzing his opponent. He had a sword drawn and aimed for the figure before him.

The figure that stood between the fox and the man in white was a woman, long black curls gently swaying in the breeze. She was wearing a tight black dress that the fox had never seen before, a scarlet rising sun design adorning her left shoulder. The dress had slits in the skirt, travelling upwards to the woman's hips to show off an absolutely indecent amount of her pearl-white skin, but somehow she still managed to maintain an air of dignity. She too held a sword, facing the man in white.

On the other side of the barrier, the fox could see a group of people sitting on a pile of boulders, watching the battle like breathless spectators. Just as the fox was about to take a step, intending to skirt along the barrier towards the spectators where it was safe, there was an explosion of energy that seemed to rock the very earth beneath the fox's paws. The fox looked up to see a huge ball of blue energy barreling towards it and there was nothing it could do.

"Get down!" A woman's voice shouted and there was a flash of white in front of the fox, causing it to react. The fox crouched down as far as it could, feeling a blanket of soft fur wrap around it, rolling it up into a cocoon.

* * *

><p>Midori acted quickly, protecting the little fox by jumping in front of it and wrapping it up in her tails, planting her sword into the soil at the last second to block the attack. She put her hand against the blade, bracing the sword just as the blade began to fracture and warp beneath her fingers. The attack fell away and the dust cleared, revealing Midori sitting on her knees with her hands on the hilt of her sword, still stuck in the ground, her long black hair covering her face.<p>

"Midori-chan!" Midori could hear her friends' panicked voices and she could hear hurried footsteps. Grinning slightly, she raised her head and slowly stood, using her sword for leverage.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Midori grinned, looking around as her friends surrounded her, checking her for wounds. Sesshoumaru stood back with a smirk that said he was mildly impressed that she was able to block his attack. "Hey, I asked to train with Sesshoumaru of all people. Of course there would be a risk."

"Ne, Midori.." Inuyasha said, pointing at Midori's tails with a look of disinterest. "You've got something in your tails."

"Oh yeah!" Midori unwrapped her tails from around the little golden fox and set it in her arms, holding it gingerly. "Are you alright, chibi-chan?"

"Eh..?" The fox's eyes fluttered open, blinking a few times with a confused expression as it looked up at Midori, it's eyes widening in shock. "I thought I was gunna die!"

"Yuzuki?" Kotone cried, running up to the little fox with a look of surprise. Kotone pulled the little fox from Midori's arms and looked at the fox sternly, much to the surprise of everyone around her. "Yuzuki, what are you doing outside of the village?"

"Kotone-nechan!" The fox cried, struggling against Kotone's grip. "Lemme down! Tomoe-bachan sent me! I'm the _messenger_!"

"Eh?" Kotone blinked, letting Yuzuki free. The fox dropped to the ground, landing on the soil steadily, looking up at Kotone with prideful eyes. "But.. You're not even old enough to drink, or find a mate!"

"I'm still the fastest in the village and you know it." Yuzuki grumbled, sitting back on it's haunches, it's fluffy golden tail swishing with annoyance. "Anyway, Tomoe-bachan says the castle is ready for whenever Midori-sama wants to move in."

"Uhm.. Excuse me.." Midori smiled, interupting the conversation as politely as she could. "Kotone, who is this?"

"Oh, this is Yuzuki, my younger sibling." Kotone turned and looked down at the fox with a maternal expression. "Yuzuki-chan, didn't Tomoe tell you to change your form while you're out here? If you look like a fox, you could get caught by hunters."

"Ugh.. Fine.." Yuzuki groaned and took a few steps back. Midori watched as the little fox transformed into a child, no older than Shippo. Messy blonde hair was pulled back into a short braid and sky blue eyes narrowed slightly, giving off an almost feline appearance. Yuzuki was wearing worn brown hakama and a mustard yellow haori that had a brown wheat pattern on the sleeves.

"Better?" The child asked, looking up at Kotone with a disinterested expression. Shippo peered around Kagome's leg, curious about the newcomer that looked to be about the same age.

"Much better, thank you." Kotone smiled, patting Yuzuki's head. Yuzuki grumbled something and slapped her hand away and then froze when he spotted Shippo.

"Ne, Kotone. You never mentioned you had a little brother." Shippo mused, walking up to Yuzuki shyly.

"There's a good reason for that." Takao drawled, sitting down on the ground with a bored expression. "Yuzuki is a bully, which I guess is surprising for a-"

"Get away from me, you dirty mountain fox!" Yuzuki cried out, jumping up onto Kotone's shoulders and hissing at a startled Shippo. "You'll get my fur all dusty!"

Everyone was completely floored except for Kotone and Takao. Kotone growled something under her breath and picked Yuzuki off of her shoulder, holding him out by the back of his haori, glaring at him. Yuzuki folded his arms across his chest and glared right back, full well knowing he'd done something wrong.

"Yuzuki.." Kotone seethed, "Shippo-chan is a friend of mine. Be polite!"

"Like hell!" Yuzuki cried, sticking his tongue out at his sister before he wiggled away and ran a short distance away.

"Get back here!" Kotone shouted, chasing after her brother.

"I don't have time for this.." Midori sighed, walking over to her sword and grasping the hilt. "I have to get back to training."

Just as Midori was about to pull the sword from the ground, she could hear a faint crackling sound coming from the blade. Curious, she pulled the blade up from the soil and looked it over. To everyone's shock, Midori's sword was cracking and fragmenting down the blade untill it eventually shattered in her hands, leaving only a few inches of cracked blade and the pommel in Midori's hand. Midori blinked, unable to think or even breathe. Her sword.. had just shattered..

"Midori-chan.." Kagome gasped, her eyes wide.

"It's.. gone.." Midori blinked, unable to fathom what had just happened. "But.. This sword has been with me for months!.."

"Midori, it's alright. It was just made of metal like a normal sword." Inuyasha said, dropping a hand onto Midori's shoulder. "It wasn't made out of a fang or anything, so of course it wouldn't last that long."

"Personally, I'm impressed that it was able to withstand direct attacks from Sesshoumaru.." Miroku mused, kneeling down and picking up a shard of the broken sword, looking it over. "Are you sure this was just made of normal metal?"

"C'mon, Miroku." Sango sighed, folding her arms across her chest. "You were there. Midori had just joined us and she was laid up in bed with a fever. We all wanted to cheer her up when she got better, so all of us helped Totosai to forge this sword, remember?"

"I suppose you're right." Miroku nodded, standing. "It must have been Midori's energy within the blade that strengthened it."

"Well, what am I going to do now?" Midori sighed, looking down at the pommel of her sword in dismay. "I can't fight without a sword."

"You've grown significantly stronger as a demon." Sesshoumaru said, sheathing his sword and walking over to stand in front of Midori, looking down at her appraisingly. "You should be able to make a powerful sword with your own fang."

"My own fang..?" Midori blinked for a moment and then went pale. "But wait a second, won't I have to _remove_ a fang before that can happen?"

"Relax. It hurts like hell, but it grows back in a few minutes." Inuyasha sighed, shaking his head. Midori seemed to breath a sigh of relief upon hearing his words. "Totosai should be able to make a good sword for you."

"Well, I guess I should probably go see him then." Midori sighed, sheathing what little was left of her sword to show Totosai later on. She looked at Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Miroku and Shippo. "You guys should probably go looking for jewel shards on your own while I'm gone. I'll catch up with you later."

"I'll go gather our things..." Takao said, immediately standing up as if he were getting ready to depart.

"Actually..You should stay here with Kotone. She looks like she'll need all the help she can get." Midori put a hand on Takao's arm to stop him, casting a quick glance at Kotone, who was still chasing after Yuzuki. She looked up at Takao with a knowing smile, which surprised him. "Besides.. You have something important to tell her, don't you?"

"But.. What about you, Midori-sama?" Takao asked, a blush just barely gracing his cheeks. Takao had admitted to Midori that he had feelings for someone before the Obon Festival, but he had never expected Midori to remember that while she was falling asleep, let alone figure out who he had feelings for.. "You shouldn't be alone if Naraku is still after you."

"She won't be alone." Sesshoumaru spoke up, placing a hand on Midori's shoulder protectively. "I shall escort her. I have business with Totosai as well."

"You're not going to try and force him to make another Tessaiga again, are you?" Midori drawled, looking over her shoulder at Sesshoumaru with a sly smile. Sesshoumaru glared at her for a second, but she just chuckled and shook her head. "Alright, well I'll be back as soon as the sword is done."

"Be careful, alright Midori-chan?" Kagome hugged Midori, and Sango joined in. They were both worried about her.

"I'll be alright. I'm more worried about you two." Midori smiled, hugging her friends. "Stay safe."

After a long goodbye, Midori gathered her things before she and Sesshoumaru left the village with Jaken, Rin and Ah-Un in tow. The sun was beginning it's descent when they left, casting a bright yellow glow over the world. The knee-high golden grasses waved gently with the autumn breeze, as if even the grass was bidding them farewell. Midori smiled and stretched luxuriously as they walked, earning her a sideward glance from Sesshoumaru as if he'd been admiring her from afar. Midori blinked, somewhat confused by this, but he looked away and didn't say anything about it.

* * *

><p>Midori had travelled with Sesshoumaru and his group for a few days before they reached the mountain where Totosai's cave was located. During their journey, Midori had grown close to Rin, hunting for her and caring for her like a little sister. Sesshoumaru didn't seem to mind, in fact he seemed pleased to sit back and watch Rin and Midori run around playing games and exploring. Jaken had been in a foul mood since Midori joined them, but after a few days even he joined in on Midori's games.<p>

On the seventh day since leaving Kaede's vilage, they arrived in the forest that Midori had first met Sesshoumaru. It was still as dark and gloomy as ever, and Midori could smell demons everywhere through the dank, earthy wet scent of mold and fungus. Midori looked around nervously and quickly picked up Rin, depositing the child on her back and wrapping her tails around the child without saying a word. Rin just smiled and rested her head on Midori's shoulder, enjoying the warmth and comfort Midori's tails provided.

"Sesshoumaru, there should be a hotspring closer to Totosai's cave." Midori said, her apprehensive jadefire eyes scanning the forest. "I don't think we should stop here tonight, especially not with Rin."

"Hn." Sesshoumaru nodded once in agreement and the group kept walking. Midori skipped ahead a little untill she fell in step beside Sesshoumaru, matching his graceful stride as they walked along the forest path. Sesshoumaru seemed to be deep in thought lately and Midori couldn't help but wonder what had him so.. upset? No, not upset. Almost worried. No one else had been able to see any difference in his actions, but Midori could tell somehow that he was a little bit more distant than normal.

They continued walking along the narrow path untill the forest somehow grew cleaner around them. Midori couldn't smell the wet scent of mold and fungus anymore, and moonlight was now filtering through the tree canopy above them, providing a dim light for Midori to locate the hotsprings. Rin had fallen asleep, her little cheek resting in the crook of Midori's neck as Midori carried her through the forest.

The hotspring was close by, so Jaken and Midori went about setting up camp. Midori collected Rin's sleeping bag from Ah-Un's saddlebag and laid it out, setting Rin down and tucking her in while Jaken started a campfire and piled up some extra firewood. Sesshoumaru settled himself below a tree, assuming his usual stoic pose, his eyes closed as Midori started boiling water and cooking some rice for dinner.

Soon, Rin woke to the smell of cooking food and they all sat around the campfire and ate, save for Sesshoumaru, who was still feigning sleep beneath the tree. After Midori, Rin and Jaken ate, Midori put Rin back to bed, tucking her in and humming a soft lullaby to her untill she drifted off. Jaken sat down next to the fire with Ah-Un at his back, one head laying down to rest and another scanning it's surroundings. The crisp autumn air had a certain chill to it, almost like a scent, that told Midori that winter was coming soon. By now, the crescent moon had risen over the horizen and Midori looked up at it with a soft sigh. There were rings around the moon, meaning it would probably rain or snow tomorrow.

"Jaken, I'm going to the hotsprings." Midori said quietly, standing up from Rin's bedside and looking over at the half-asleep imp near the fire. "Will you watch Rin while I'm away?"

"Fine, fine.." Jaken mumbled, waving her off as his eyes drooped closed.

With a faint sigh, Midori walked over to her things and gathered up what she would need. Once she had gotten everything, she cast a glance at Sesshoumaru only to find that he hadn't moved. For some reason, she felt a little disappointed by that. Frowning slightly, Midori bit her lip and left the camp, walking in the direction of the hotsprings. In the darkness, tree branches and forest brush tried to stop her, reaching up and grabbing at her cheongsam, scratching at her legs, but she pressed on through the darkness untill she reached her destination.

Midori flicked a few pale green fireballs around onto rocks, illuminating the area around the hotspring and Midori's eyes lit up. It was beautiful! The moonlight filtered through the trees slightly and the reflection of the moon could be seen in the water. Billowing clouds of pearl white steam rose from the surface, and the water seemed to glitter with the light of the fires. Without hesitating, Midori dropped her things on a nearby rock and stripped, ignoring the chill air that brushed across her skin and waded into the water without a second thought.

A soft purr escaped from Midori and she lowered herself into the water, sinking untill her shoulders just barely rose above the surface and then she laid back, allowing herself to float slightly as she threaded her fingers through her hair. Midori's eyes closed as a contented sigh escaped her lips and she let her mind wander. Midori slowly slid her hands down her body, feeling the velvet water lap against her skin. It was intoxicating, and soon Midori could feel the warmth of the water seep into her core as a blush rose to her cheeks. Midori's hands slid lower still and she let out a small gasp when her fingers brushed against the tender flesh between her thighs. Her fingers seemed to have a mind of their own, and Midori didn't mind, letting them work her body into a gentle frenzy as thoughts of a molten-gold gaze floated into her mind.

* * *

><p>Sesshoumaru had been sitting beneath the tree just outside of camp, waiting for Midori to return. Jaken had since fallen asleep and only silence hung in the air. Sesshoumaru had been lost in thought, battling the urge to follow Midori to the hotspring. There were too many things he didn't know. Would she allow him to join her, or would she push him away? Would he be able to resist temptation any longer or would he break down and claim her without any thoughts to her consent? He'd been fighting his urges for her since they left the village and he was now at his wit's end.<p>

The gentle scent of Midori's arousal reached Sesshoumaru's nose and his eyes snapped open. He listened closer to the sounds that the breeze carried to him and he could hear her gentle gasping, the soft splashing of water. A soft growl escaped his throat and Sesshoumaru stood, letting his instincts guide him towards his prey. Her scent filled his nose and clouded his mind and now she was indeed his prey, and he would have her at any cost.

Sesshoumaru moved silently, keeping his presence hidden as he crossed through the forest and came to the clearing where the hotspring was located. The sound of Midori's gasps had grown silent, replaced by a groan of frustration as a new scent filled the air. Orchids and Saffron blended with the scent of the autumn forest and Midori's own natural flowers-and-cloves scent, and Sesshoumaru almost felt as though he were drowning in his desire. Silently, he walked around a tree and the hotspring came into view.

Midori was standing in the water with her back to him, her hair pulled over her shoulder as she combed her fingers through it. The moonlight filtered through the trees and that mixed with the light from the foxfires gave the woman before him an ethereal and otherworldly appearance. Her skin seemed to glitter in the firelight because of the water that beaded on her skin and when she bent to pick something up, Sesshoumaru recieved a thrill from the view he never expected. The scent of her arousal and frustration reached him once again and he felt tormented, conflicting voices whispering in his mind. It was painfully obvious that he wanted her, but he didn't want to anger her, the realization of which had thrown him for an internal loop. Sesshoumaru continued to watch in silence to see Midori turning just slightly and he could see her face. She was pouting! He fought back a chuckle and his eyes danced with mischief as a sly grin formed in his lips.

* * *

><p>Midori sighed in frustration and closed her eyes, taking a deep and steadying breath. She couldn't go back to camp like this and face Sesshoumaru when she knew full well he would smell her arousal. He'd been acting strange lately, going out of his way to protect her and Rin. He had even hunted for them once when Rin had gotten sick and Midori was tending to her. But Midori still didn't know the depth of Sesshoumaru's feelings or what he'd been so bothered by these last few days, and she wasn't sure she could trust him not to break her heart again.<p>

The scent of sandalwood enveloped her and Midori felt movement in the water behind her, alerting her to Sesshoumaru's presence. Midori gasped but before she could turn around, a hand covered her eyes gently, blocking out her sight as another hand rested on her shoulder and slowly slid downwards.

"S-sesshoumaru?" Midori gasped in surprise as she froze in place. Midori could feel Sesshoumaru's hand slide further down untill he cupped her breast in his hand, his lean body pressing against her back. Midori could _feel_ his arousal pressed against the curve of her backside and her breath caught in her throat, her heart suddenly fluttering wildly as that familiar heat returned to her insides in full force.

Sesshoumaru offered her a soft growl in response and Midori shuddered, feeling his breath on the nape of her neck. Almost tenderly, Sesshoumaru trailed little circles around Midori's nipple with his thumb, agonizingly slowly as he removed his hand from Midori's eyes and allowed it to roam her body freely. To Sesshoumaru's relief, Midori didn't pull away or fight against him, instead she laid her head back on his shoulder and allowed his exploration of her body.

Over and over again, Sesshoumaru's fingers brought her to the brink of an earth-shattering orgasm only to cruelly dance away, massaging her body in other places to sooth her untill her panting subsided. He was torturing her, slowly, tenderly torturing her untill she could feel the last traces of her sanity slip away. Her body trembling against him, she whimpered softly, gasping in her lust-filled haze but he still offered no sympathy. He wanted her to beg for a release that only he could give her, even as she pressed her hips back against his in an attempt to return his tortures.

Midori's body tensed as she felt Sesshoumaru's fingers slip between her legs once again, urgently willing her body to the brink once again and she gasped in anticipation when a single fingertip brushed against her opening. Midori involuntarily rocked her hips against his hand, wordlessly pleading with him as she whimpered, her muscles tensed like a rubberband about to snap. She could hear his deep chuckle, his breath hot against her ear as he moved his fingers away yet again, leaving her panting and whining in frustration.

"S-sesshoumaru! Please.. Please!" Midori whined between pants, her breathy voice wavering as she turned her head to look up at him, her jadefire eyes intense and burning with her need. In response to her pleas, Sesshoumaru suddenly bent her forward over a cool rock, exposing her sex-drenched opening to the chill air. Midori gasped and looked over her shoulder at him, her cheeks flushed as she presented herself to him, allowing him to see the depth of the need that his teasing had caused her to feel.

Sesshoumaru chuckled softly and Midori shuddered as he positioned himself at her opening, the head of his hot member just barely pressing against her entrance. Almost agonizingly slowly, he pushed himself inside her, taking his sweet time as he relished each and every gasp and groan that he brought forth from her. Midori tried to push back against him in her impatience, but he gripped her hips, preventing her from moving at all as he continued on, slowly burying himself into her untill he could go no further. Midori whimpered softly, clawing jagged lines into the face of the rock she was bent over, feeling his arms reach around her once again. One hand nestled itself over her clit, fingers lightly trailing circles around it, careful not to touch the sensitive nub, teasting her again. The other hand worked it's way around to Midori's face, covering her mouth to muffle the whimpers that had been gaining in volume with each passing minute.

Midori arched her back slightly, giving him full access to her body as Sesshoumaru slowly pulled away from her untill the head of his shaft was only barely resting between the folds of her entrance. In her impatience, Midori gently bit down on one of Sesshoumaru's fingers, her fangs leaving small pinpricks in his skin and drawing blood. In her love-drunk haze, Midori vaguely heard him gasp behind her, halting his torments as his eyes widened slightly. Sesshoumaru's mind had snapped back to reality and he stared at the woman who had bared everything to him, his finger in her mouth as she sought to bring him pleasure by nipping at the skin she found there. Midori had unconsciously tried to mark Sesshoumaru as her mate, though Sesshoumaru understood that she probably wasn't aware of this fact. His eyes softened slightly as a feeling of warmth flowered in his heart, his magenta-streaked lids lowering untill his molten-gold gaze was hooded and a small smile graced his lips.

He had tortured the girl enough, he decided as he brought his hands to her hips and lifted, turning her to face him. She looked up at him with wide, startled eyes even as she draped her arms around his neck, surprised by his suddenly tender touch. Sesshoumaru held her against him, showing a surprising amount of reverence and compassion as his hands slid down to her shapely backside, guiding her hips against his in one fluid motion, burying himself inside her once again. Midori gasped and trembled against him, her grip on his shoulders tightening slightly as she looked up at him still, an expression of wonder glittering in her eyes.

Slowly, Sesshoumaru lowered his lips to hers, capturing her in a soft kiss as he felt Midori wrap her legs around his hips snugly, rocking her hips against his to recieve more of his length. The soft kiss grew in passion and heat as Sesshoumaru began to thrust into her with a renewed vigor, lifting and guiding her hips to meet his thrusts with an increasing need. They were both overwhelmed by the pleasure of their actions and soon Midori had buried her face against Sesshoumaru's neck, gasping and moaning in his ear, the heat of her passion nearly burning him. Sesshoumaru could feel Midori nipping at his neck and he gasped once again, his body trembling slightly with the force of his emotions. She had once again attempted to mark him and the realization of this made him increase his speed, delving into her body with powerful thrusts that quickly brought her to the brink of her climax once again.

This time, he allowed her to cross over the threshold, angling her hips slightly so that his shaft nestled against the soft, hidden spot within her, bringing her into an earth-shattering orgasm. He heard her sharp intake of breath and felt her muscles tense and quiver around him, her grip on his shaft tightening and causing him to hiss softly as he thrust into her harder, giving her everything he had and taking equally from her as he lost himself within his desire. In a frenzy, he took her, grunting and thrusting into her wildly as he pressed her against the rock at her back to hold her still. Her cries of passion rose in volume and Sesshoumaru no longer cared if anyone heard them, he would bring her to the height of pleasure again and again if he had to, just as long as he could keep her wrapped in his arms and lose himself in her scent.

Soon, the trembling pleasure and the chilling heat took hold of Sesshoumaru and he was pleased to feel that it had taken hold of Midori once again as well. Sesshoumaru gripped Midori's hips and used the last of his strength for the final plunge, bringing them both to a shuddering, earth-shattering orgasm as he buried himself deep within her, clinging to her slight frame as the force of his release caused him to see stars. The force of Midori's orgasm caused her internal muscles to seize and spasm wildly, almost milking his shaft for every drop of his release and cause him to tense long after he had relaxed, his breath coming in ragged, shallow pants as he held her close.

They were both completely spent by the time Sesshoumaru had caught his breath and lifted Midori off the cold, uncomfortable rock and lowered her into the hot, soothing waters of the hotspring. They fell into a contented silence and they knew that no words need be spoken. Midori looked up at Sesshoumaru with a dreamy smile and he cupped her cheek in one hand, pulling her close for another soft, gentle kiss. She snuggled into his arms and relaxed against his chest, closing her eyes with a happy sigh. Much like he had done the first time he and Midori had gone to a hotspring, Sesshoumaru gently bathed her, rinsing away the sweat from her body and allowing his hands to roam her body once again, chuckling when he heard Midori's soft purr.

Once their bodies were once again clean, they left the water and dressed. Midori shivered, tugging her hair over her shoulder and pulling it into a long braid down her spine. Sesshoumaru watched her with a tender expression, retrieving his pelt from a nearby branch and laying it around her shoulders. She was still a very young demon and as such, she hadn't yet gained the control over her body to shield itself from the cold. Sweeping her up into his arms, Sesshoumaru carried her back to the warmth of the campfire as he cradled her in his arms. She smiled up at him and kissed his cheek, closing her eyes and resting her head in the crook of his neck.

"I love you, Sesshoumaru.." Her whisper startled him, making him stop in his tracks and look down at her. Her eyes were closed and she had a soft, sleepy smile on her face, her breathing deep and even. She had fallen asleep in his arms, wrapped in his pelt as he carried her back to camp. An unknown emotion flooded into Sesshoumaru's heart then and he smiled. It wasn't malicious or arrogant, but a soft, genuine smile that would have shocked anyone who knew him.

"And I.. love you.. Midori." Sesshoumaru whispered back, slowly letting the words slip from his lips. The words were unfamiliar, foreign to him as he had never spoken that sentence to anyone before and an awkward feeling tickled at the back of his mind, but he smiled nonetheless, enjoying the blooming warmth in his heart as he reached the camp and sat down beneath a tree.

Sesshoumaru looked down at Midori with a kind smile, gently brushing aside a lock of hair from her face. He cradled her delicate form to his chest protectively and she sighed happily, shifting her weight slightly untill she fit against his body perfectly. Sesshoumaru felt her warmth and her soft breath against his neck as he fell into a deep and comfortable sleep that he never thought he would be able to attain. His last thought before drifting into sleep was that this beautiful girl in his arms now held a strange power over him, and for once.. He was happy.

* * *

><p>"Oiiee! Totosai!" Midori called into the cave, peering into the darkness. Midori and Sesshoumaru had left Rin and Jaken with Ah-Un near the hotsprings while they went ahead to Totosai's cave in the early morning. The sun had risen over the mountains in the distance and was now shining brightly overhead.<p>

"Tamamo no.. Midori?" Totosai's startled voice floated out of the cave and Midori heard a faint shuffling coming from within. In a few moments, Totosai walked out into the sunlight, shielding his eyes as he looked at Midori with a confused expression. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, m'lady?"

"Well, my sword broke." Midori said simply with a lamentable sigh as she tossed her sheathed sword's remains to the old demon. Sesshoumaru stood in the backround silently, smirking to himself when Totosai finally noticed him with a quiet yelp. "I was told I should come and see you about getting a fang forged."

"You wish me to forge your fang into a weapon?" Totosai's eyes widened as he looked back at Midori, his eyes almost glittering from the challenge. "Are you sure?"

"Yep." Midori smiled as she and Sesshoumaru followed Totosai into his cave and sat down as Totosai looked over the shattered remains of Midori's former sword. "I wouldn't want anyone else do to it, actually. I trust in your abilities."

"Such kind words!" Totosai beamed at Midori before turning to grouch at Sesshoumaru. "Now if only everyone else would be so nice."

"Hn." Sesshoumaru replied in his usual manner, but he still glared daggers at the elderly demon. To Totosai's surprise, however, Sesshoumaru's gaze no longer reflected much of the malice that it once held. He busied himself with looking over Midori's fractured sword, occasionally stealing glances of the two daiyoukai sitting at his table, casually holding a conversation.

"Well.." Totosai began, setting down Midori's sword with a sigh. "From what I can tell, a sword made of regular metal will not hold up to the repetative heating and cooling of your fox fire attacks without eventually shattering."

"So, what then? You take a fang and work your magic to turn it into a sword?" Midori asked, quirking a brow at Totosai, who was picking up a pair of large, gruesome looking pliers.

"Essencially. Now open up." Totosai commanded, holding his pliers at the ready. Midori hesitated, but opened her mouth anyway, gripping the seat of the stone chair. Totosai acted quickly and in a flash, he had popped out Midori's top two fangs.

"YOW! I thought you said you only needed one!" Midori howled, holding her jaw with a look of indignation. Totosai looked down at the two fangs in his hand and smiled, getting a feel for them.

"These will do nicely, child. Don't worry, your fangs should already be growing back." Totosai waved her off, turning his back on the two daiyoukai and setting to work firing his forge. "I'll make quick work of this for you, Tamamo no Midori. I'm curious to see what kind of weapon these fangs will become. It will be done by sunset."

"Ungh.. Fine, fine. I'm gunna go see how Rin and Jaken are doing then." Midori sighed, rubbing her cheeks as her new fangs started to grow in. She stood and left the cave, heading into the forest. Totosai set about his work, firing his forge and preparing the two fox fangs before he froze. Turning slowly, a cold sweat developing on the old demon's brow, Totosai saw Sesshoumaru still sitting at the table, watching him calmly.

"You're not going to follow the girl?" Totosai asked, his voice wavering as his eyes widened slightly, showing a faint trace of fear.

"No. I have business with you as well." Sesshoumaru stood and then did something that surprised Totosai completely. Sesshoumaru reached up and popped out his own top two fangs as well, growling softly as he handed the large fangs to the old demon. "I would like you to forge two swords, each with Midori's fang and my own."

"Eh..?" Totosai asked dumbly, taking Sesshoumaru's fangs in a trembling hand. Was he serious? Demons only shared their fangs with another if they intend to... And then Totosai understood suddenly why Sesshoumaru seemed so much more.. _tame_. Totosai smiled slightly and nodded, accepting the order. "Very well. I shall do as you ask, simply because I'm even more curious to see what sort of weapons these fangs will create together."

"Hn.." Sesshoumaru paused for a moment, as if he were rethinking his words, but then he sharply turned and left the cave, leaving Totosai to forge the weapons. "I shall return at sunset."

* * *

><p>Time passed slowly for Midori as she sat at camp, watching over Rin. The comforting weight of her sword on her hip wasn't there, and Midori felt naked without it, looking around nervously untill Sesshoumaru returned soon after. Midori sighed and decided to busy herself with chores while she waited, taking Rin to a nearby stream to wash the laundry and clean their cookware. After that had been taken care of, Midori and Rin scoured the forest for herbs and autumn fruits, bringing back enough to fill one of Ah-Un's saddlebags completely.<p>

Without accepting Jaken's help, Midori set about making lunch, lighting a large fire and bringing back a dozen or so freshly cleaned fish. She dumped the fish into the boiling water over the fire, added rice, vegetables and herbs and sat back, wringing her hands untill it was finished. Even Sesshoumaru joined them for the meal this time, noticing how nervous Midori looked without a weapon at her side. He chuckled inwardly, glad that no one around him could read his mind and ruin the surprise.

After lunch, Midori once again thoroughly washed the cookware in the stream and returned to securely pack them away in Ah-Un's saddle. She and Rin went down to the hotsprings and bathed, coming back just before sunset. Rin looked like she was positively glowing, the scent of Midori's soaps wafting through the air like perfume. And then, once there was nothing left to do, Midori plopped onto the grass with a distant expression that seemed to worry Rin, and even Jaken slightly. Sesshoumaru just sat beneath a tree and waited, keeping a close eye on Midori as she sat up and began pacing for a short while. Just as the sun was about to set below the mountains, Sesshoumaru stood silently, walking back towards Totosai's cave. Midori hurriedly told Jaken to watch Rin and ran after him.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Letter from the Author<strong>_

_Hey guys! I want to thank everyone for their reviews, it's been a complete surprise for me. I wasn't expecting anyone to really like my story. And wow, chapter 25. Totally wasn't expecting to make it this far. xD_

_Anyway, I just wanted to let everyone know I'm going to be taking a short break from writing. No more than a week. So, you should probably fav this or add it to your story alerts thingie after you read this._

_Also, if anyone has advice on what should happen next or what I could do better, __**please please please**__ let me know! I'll be checking my messages every day!  
><em>

_Love and peace and all that jazz,_

_-Asia_


	26. Author's Note

Hey, everyone. I wanted to apologize for not updating the story recently. Ironically, after I posted the last chapter, I lost my internet service because I couldn't pay the bill. I've been using the internet at the local library since then and I only just recently got my internet back.

However, here comes the sad part. I'm afraid I've kind of lost interest in the Teardrops of Jade story for now, as I've been working on a Naruto story in my spare time. (I know, typical, right?) So, fair warning, I don't know when/if I'll update, but I feel really bad about leaving you guys hangin' like this.

Now, I know how many people have been adding this story to their favorites and whatnot and I know I'll probably get a flood of views once I post this, so depending on how many views I get and how many people seem interested, I may motivate myself to pick this up again. It all depends on how many people seem interested.

Again, I'm sorry for the delay and sorry ahead of time in case I don't finish this story all together. Thank you for your patience and understanding. :3

-Asia


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